someone
Americanpronoun
pronoun
Etymology
Origin of someone
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.
In the denial, the patent commissioner scolded Hunt for allowing “his discovery to slumber” for so long, saying he submitted an application only to “strangle” someone else’s invention, presumably Howe’s.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
I’d sit with my coffee and catch up: Duncan’s article had gone viral, Lisa wanted someone to review a draft, Sarah had been invited to give feedback to a new platform for writers.
From Slate • Apr. 12, 2026
She is someone whom the developmental slots might help a lot.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
“Dishwashing is not a profession I would ever recommend for someone who has any other options,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
I kept looking for someone to give the Bible to.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Definitions 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.
