whom

American  

[hoom] / hum /

pronoun

1. the objective case of who.

   Whom did you call? Of whom are you speaking? With whom did you stay?

2. the dative case of who.

   You gave whom the book?

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whom British  

/ huːm /

pronoun

1. the objective form of who , used when who is not the subject of its own clause

   whom did you say you had seen?

   he can't remember whom he saw

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Usage

It was formerly considered correct to use whom whenever the objective form of who was required. This is no longer thought to be necessary and the objective form who is now commonly used, even in formal writing: there were several people there who he had met before . Who cannot be used directly after a preposition – the preposition is usually displaced, as in the man ( who ) he sold his car to . In formal writing whom is preferred in sentences like these: the man to whom he sold his car . There are some types of sentence in which who cannot be used: the refugees, many of whom were old and ill, were allowed across the border

Commonly Confused

See who .

Etymology

Origin of whom

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hwām, dative of interrogative pronoun hwā who

Example Sentences

He doesn’t ask whether technological progress should continue but a deeper question: Progress for whom?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Gehry and Williams also happen to be the two greatest L.A. artists with whom Dudamel became closest during his L.A. tenure.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Ubben, whom the company had brought on in 2021 amid the activist campaign, decided not to stand for reelection.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

The survivors, their families and the bereaved families are still awaiting further details about the data breaches - what was viewed, by whom and why, the inquiry heard.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

We were going to see one of the many poor families in the neighborhood whom Mama had adopted.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom