someone
Americanpronoun
pronoun
Etymology
Origin of someone
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at some, one
Compare meaning
How does someone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
The word someone refers a person or an individual, but not necessarily a specific one. If you're not hungry enough for dessert after lunch, you can ask the friends at your table, "Does someone want my ice cream sandwich?" It's a funny contradiction, but the noun someone can be used to mean "any unspecified person," but also "a very important person." So a child might say, "When I grow up, I want to be someone," meaning that they want to be well-known or famous, or just really good at something. Someone and somebody are synonyms, so you can use them interchangeably, although someone is slightly more formal.
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.
When someone writes a will, they typically have an idyllic vision of leaving behind something that will provide joy for generations of heirs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
Sometimes someone says something that maybe you shouldn't say at that certain time, but it doesn't distract us from what we are creating here and the environment and spirit within the group.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
"I'm not sure it's necessarily legal in all jurisdictions, but there will be such a car that someone can own," he added.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
The Kings wanted to eliminate the star power: “So, how much would it relate to someone who’s just a common person like Olivia is,” Robert said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
For the first time since that dreadful day, Clare wanted to tell someone about the cruelty of it all.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
