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second person

American  
[sek-uhnd pur-suhn] / ˈsɛk ənd ˈpɜr sən /

noun

  1. the grammatical person used by the speaker of an utterance in referring to the one second person singular or ones second person plural being spoken to.

  2. a pronoun or verb form in the second person, as the pronoun you in English, or a set of such forms.


second person British  

noun

  1. a grammatical category of pronouns and verbs used when referring to or describing the individual or individuals being addressed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of second person

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Fans wearing Boston Red Sox memorabilia have been trumped by Scotland strips, and walking down the street it feels as though every second person you see is wearing a kilt.

From BBC Jun. 13, 2026

The suspect was accompanied by a second person, who appeared to be taking photos and videos with a mobile phone but who fled when police arrived.

From Barron's Mar. 29, 2026

Given you have such a small tax refund, it does not seem worth it to spend hundreds of dollars every year; if you hire a second person, it will effectively wipe out your tax refund.

From MarketWatch Mar. 27, 2026

Officers also found a second person inside who did not live at the home, according to police.

From Los Angeles Times Mar. 18, 2026

“You’re the second person in a month to ask me about that.”

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman

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