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

David Ball of Soft Cell, whose delectably sleazy synth-pop arrangement drove that English duo’s 1981 hit “Tainted Love” to the top of the U.K. singles chart, died Wednesday.

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The musician, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, allegedly failed to stop after hitting a 20-year-old man in Redbridge Lane East, Ilford, on Saturday, 18 October, the Met Police said.

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There are the never-before-seen 150 love letters he wrote to then-girlfriend Mary, a ballet dancer, whose mom found them under a bed in Nebraska.

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It was a similar story for Amber, whose attendance at the school, Droitwich Spa High, was also inconsistent between 2021 and 2024.

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They say it's Jess Phillips whose words are untrue.

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