who
pronoun
what person or persons?.
who
1 American
[hoo]
/ hu /
pronoun
-
whom,
objective
-
whose
possessive
-
what person or persons?.
Who did it?
-
(of a person) of what character, origin, position, importance, etc..
Who does she think she is?
-
the person that or any person that (used relatively to represent a specified or implied antecedent).
It was who you thought.
-
(used relatively in restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses to represent a specified antecedent, the antecedent being a person or sometimes an animal or personified thing).
Any kid who wants to can learn to swim.
-
Archaic. the person or persons who.
idioms
WHO
2
American
[duhb-uhl-yoo-aych-oh]
/ ˈdʌb əlˌjuˈeɪtʃˈoʊ /
abbreviation
who
1
British
/ huː /
pronoun
-
which person? what person? used in direct and indirect questions
he can't remember who did it
who met you?
-
used to introduce relative clauses with antecedents referring to human beings
the people who lived here have left
-
the one or ones who; whoever
bring who you want
WHO
2
British
abbreviation
Usage
What is WHO? The World Health Organization, commonly abbreviated as WHO, is an agency of the United Nations that works to promote public health around the world. One of its principal focuses is combating communicable diseases, such as influenza, HIV, and malaria. In 2020, the World Health Organization notably helped coordinate international efforts to control and prevent the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Health Organization was founded on April 7, 1948, when its constitution came into force. WHO inherited the activities of its precursors, the International Office of Public Health, founded in 1907, and the League of Nations Health Organization (LNHO), which was dissolved in 1946. As stated in its constitution, the World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The organization is guided by the principles that health is a fundamental human right and that every person should enjoy the highest standard of health. The World Health Organization helped lead one of the greatest public health achievements in history: the eradication of smallpox, a highly contagious disease that has ravaged humanity since antiquity. But in 1979, WHO declared smallpox officially eradicated—that is, eliminated as a naturally occurring disease—as the result of vaccination programs. The World Health Organization was also a major player in the near eradication of polio, a viral disease that can cause debilitating muscle weakness. WHO has helped spearhead efforts against many other communicable diseases, including Ebola, HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. While best known for its work in fighting communicable diseases, the World Health Organization pursues a broad array of programs and projects across the globe addressing:
- noncommunicable diseases, such as cancer and diabetes
- health-related issues across people’s lifetimes
- tobacco and drug use
- environmental health issues, including clean air and water
- food safety and security
- road safety
- emergency response
- healthcare policies, including seeking universal healthcare coverage
Commonly Confused
The typical usage guide statement about the choice between who and whom says that the choice must be determined by the grammar of the clause within which this pronoun occurs. Who is the appropriate form for the subject of a sentence or clause: Who are you? The voters who elected him have not been disappointed. Whom is the objective form: Whom did you ask? To whom are we obliged for this assistance? This method of selecting the appropriate form is generally characteristic of formal writing and is usually followed in edited prose. In most speech and writing, however, since who or whom often occurs at the beginning of the sentence or clause, there is a strong tendency to choose who no matter what its function. Even in edited prose, who occurs at least ten times as often as whom, regardless of grammatical function. Only when it directly follows a preposition is whom more likely to occur than who: Mr. Erickson is the man to whom you should address your request. In natural informal speech, whom is quite rare. Who were you speaking to? is far more likely to occur than the “correct” To whom were you speaking? or Whom were you speaking to? However, the notion that whom is somehow more “correct” or elegant than who leads some speakers to make an inappropriate hypercorrection: Whom are you? The person whom is in charge has left the office. See also than .
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of who
First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hwā; cognate with Old High German hwer, Gothic hwas; akin to Greek tís, Irish cé, Latin quis, Latvian kas, Russian kto, Sanskrit ka
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:
Darren Gold, who is now board president, said Gonzales-Torres falsely accused him of shaking her, prompting a city investigation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
The Daily Star leads on TV personality and presenter Ryan Clark who said he "carpeted for missing work because of an air traffic strike" at the BBC.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
A neighbor who allegedly fed a wild coyote in Atwater Village for months may now face a criminal charge after a 16-month-old toddler was bitten in the neighborhood, according to authorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
But Pia Sinha, the CEO of Prison Reform Trust, has called for evidence that sanctions will increase attendance and warned the measures will punish relatives of prisoners who "have committed no offence themselves".
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
During this time, Joey receives stacks of letters, including one from Father Julien, who remembers the woman in black who tried to rescue his diary years ago.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
The virus has sickened more than 9,500 people since the WHO declared the outbreak in May, with a fatality rate close to 50% in eastern Congo’s gold-mining heartland.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The WHO generally opposes travel bans, arguing that Ebola’s spread is better contained through increased funding and heightened vigilance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The ministry, along with the WHO, have produced posters to help people understand Ebola and support its containment.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Uganda had reported two Ebola deaths shortly after the outbreak was reported in DR Congo, but the WHO has since declared it to be free of the disease.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
WHO had to take care of my brother?
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
Says Berg of the pal with whom he’s worked on and off for four decades: “Bruce is a laugh machine. Great practical joker.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
Witkoff’s praise also came after Putin agreed to release a 74-year-old American whom Russia had detained for years.
From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026
Powell told the BBC it marked a "generational moment" to re-educate young people, among whom she said the issue of antisemitism was "particularly prevalent".
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Greg Olsen, the well-liked tight end whom Fox demoted to make way for handsome extraterrestrial Tom Brady, will be available at season’s end, and in high demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
She rarely spoke to anyone other than those with whom she traded.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
India would gain investment and expertise from an industry leader whose 11,000 or so active low-Earth-orbit satellites account for roughly two-thirds of all satellites in orbit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Pop star Larsson, whose hit album Midnight Sun was executive produced by MNEK, was among those who offered their support to the artist in the comments.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
The trial included 97 participants whose average age was 74.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
He isn’t a Joel Embiid-like figure whose struggles on the court and history of missed games make him easily labeled as “lazy.”
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026
“What boy?” asked one of my other tablemates, whose name was Minna Waxman.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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