- possessive of who.
whose
Americanpronoun
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(the possessive case of who used as an adjective).
Whose umbrella did I take? Whose is this one?
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(the possessive case of which used as an adjective).
a word whose meaning escapes me; an animal whose fur changes color.
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the one or ones belonging to what person or persons.
Whose painting won the third prize?
determiner
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of whom? belonging to whom? used in direct and indirect questions
I told him whose fault it was
whose car is this?
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( as pronoun )
whose is that?
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of whom; belonging to whom; of which; belonging to which: used as a relative pronoun
a house whose windows are broken
Usage
Sometimes the phrase of which is used as the possessive of which: Chicago is a city of which the attractions are many or Chicago is a city the attractions of which are many. The use of this phrase can often seem awkward or pretentious, whereas whose sounds more idiomatic: Chicago is a city whose attractions are many.
Etymology
Origin of whose
First recorded before 900; Middle English whos, early Middle English hwās; replacing hwas, Old English hwæs, genitive of interrogative pronoun hwā who
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.
Slovak police on Tuesday said they had thwarted an attempted attack on a drone factory by “three foreigners,” whose nationality they didn’t identify.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
The right-hander, whose best Test score remains 91, countered excessive seam movement and uneven bounce by showing attacking intent, hitting six fours and two sixes.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
In Beirut, whose history spans over 5,000 years, Laure Salloum oversees archaeological excavations in the chaotic modern city.
From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026
Jonathan Levine, whose credits include “Warm Bodies” and “Long Shot,” is directing, and Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper are producing along with Cruise.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
Camille, whose legs are a good six inches longer than mine, gets there first and blocks the doorway.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
