whose

American  

[hooz] / huz /

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?

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whose British  

/ 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

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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

A dad-of-two whose DIY tutorials have proved popular on social media is trying to empower others to upskill so they can tackle basic household jobs.

From BBC

Referencing Lily Allen, whose latest record is a vicious account of the end of her marriage to Stranger Things actor David Harbour, he joked: "Her album West End Girl was launched into the charts like a torpedo, only this torpedo didn't sink a ship it destroyed a harbour."

From BBC

Unfortunately only one of this nominees year's nominees was from the city: Chrystal, whose song The Days was up for best single.

From BBC

The airport selected 38 successful Londoners whose smiling, waving images would be used on large posters at Heathrow to welcome visitors to the city.

From BBC

That approach produced a screenplay that attracted the attention of six-time Oscar nominee Lanthimos, whose 2023 fantasy "Poor Things" scooped four statuettes, including best actress for Stone.

From Barron's