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.

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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)

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Etymology

Origin of third person

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

third person

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

Chapters in the third person depict the ways that the dog’s uneventful daily life of feedings and naps has been transformed by sickness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

"So he responded in the third person, which was probably quite a wise decision," Cullen said.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

A third person, a German woman, died May 2, and a British man was medically evacuated on April 27 to South Africa, where he also tested positive for hantavirus.

From MarketWatch ● May 5, 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