whose

[hooz]

pronoun

1. (the possessive case of who used as an adjective).

   Whose umbrella did I take? Whose is this one?

2. (the possessive case of which used as an adjective).

   a word whose meaning escapes me; an animal whose fur changes color.

3. the one or ones belonging to what person or persons.

   Whose painting won the third prize?

whose

/ huːz /

determiner

1. 1. of whom? belonging to whom? used in direct and indirect questions

      I told him whose fault it was

      whose car is this?

   2. ( as pronoun )

      whose is that?

2. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of whose¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English whos, early Middle English hwās; replacing hwas, Old English hwæs, genitive of interrogative pronoun hwā who

Word History and Origins

Origin of whose¹

Old English hwæs, genitive of hwā _who and hwæt _what

Example Sentences

Rupert Goold, artistic director of the Almeida Theatre, described Sir Tom as the "most supportive, most generous man" whose "magic was present in everything he wrote".

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But "in terms of the EV supply chain, China is far in the lead", said Brandon Wang, a Beijing-based investor whose portfolio includes AI, robotics and flying cars.

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For example: spotting ships and containers whose movement or paperwork doesn’t match their weight or ownership records.

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Stoppard is also certainly a playwright whose work is a joy to read.

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"Our village is remote, we are close to the bandits," explained Aliyu, whose son is still among the missing.

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