third person

[ thurd-pur-suhn ]

/ ˈθɜrd ˈpɜr sən /

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noun

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.

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

QUIZ

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Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

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Origin of third person

First recorded in 1580–90

Words nearby third person

Third Order, third party, third-party insurance, third party procedure, third-party software, third person, third position, third quantum number, third quartile, third rail, third-rate

How to use third person in a sentence

The third suspect, an 18-year-old named Hamyd Mourad, who turned himself in, is part of the same extended family.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“I found him to to be an interesting person,” Krauss said of the first impression.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
A Wall Street person should not be allowed to help oversee the Dodd-Frank reforms.
Antonio Weiss Is Not Part of the Problem|Steve Rattner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What I had “on the girls” were some remarkably brave first-person accounts.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Scalise never would have spoken to EURO had Duke been there in person.
The Price of Steve Scalise’s Silence|Jason Berry|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Woman is mistress of the art of completely embittering the life of the person on whom she depends.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
But the Mexican caballeros had no notion of coming up to the scratch a third time.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
But if what I told him were true, he was still at a loss how a kingdom could run out of its estate like a private person.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
Levee: a ceremonious visit received by a distinguished person in the morning.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
He wished her mother had not been quite such an appalling person, fat and painted.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson

British Dictionary definitions for third person

third person

noun

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