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third person

American  
[thurd pur-suhn] / ˈθɜrd ˈpɜr sən /

noun

  1. the grammatical person used by the speaker of an utterance in referring to anyone or anything other than the speaker or the one third person singular or ones third person plural being addressed.

  2. a pronoun or verb form in the third person, as she or goes in English, or a set of such forms.


third person British  

noun

  1. a grammatical category of pronouns and verbs used when referring to objects or individuals other than the speaker or his addressee(s)

"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 third person

First recorded in 1580–90

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:

A third person whose injuries had yet to be ascertained was in the process of being brought to hospital.

From Barron's Aug. 21, 2026

The remains of a third person were found at the location and are being examined.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 20, 2026

Yang: We are experiencing something in an acute way that I think everyone is experiencing, which is we are seeing ourselves in the third person.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 11, 2026

Now aged 30, he is set to become only the third person to make the journey from non-league football to the Champions League final when Arsenal face holders Paris St-Germain on Saturday.

From BBC May 29, 2026

Anne had become philosophic about breaking Dad down a little at a time, and she had suspected all along that there was going to be a third person on her first date.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

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