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

The show’s nontraditional approach—a mix of clever analysis and laudatory commentary—has allowed it to nab high-profile interviews with executives, some of whom rarely speak to legacy media outlets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Vanessa Trump has five children with Donald Trump, Jr., to whom she was married from 2005 to 2018.

From Salon • Apr. 2, 2026

Reg said he will miss the parents and children, whom he describes as "fantastic".

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Hundreds of posts from angry attendees flooded social media sites this weekend, many of whom said the event was a far cry from what was advertised.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Whether the Incorrigible children were fixable or not would depend on whom you asked.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood