plural of person; used to refer to them individually, rather than as a group. Contrast people.
"The law specifies that certain rights apply only to persons under eighteen, distinguishing individual cases from the general population."
In plain English: Persons are human beings.
"The law protects the rights of all persons, regardless of their background."
Usage: Use persons when referring to individuals counted separately or in specific legal contexts, such as "two persons were injured." Avoid this plural form for general references to groups of humans, which should always be called people.
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of person
"When persons enter the building, they must sign in at the desk."
In plain English: To person means to give human qualities or feelings to something that is not alive, like treating an animal or an object as if it were a real person.
"The new law requires all persons to carry identification while traveling on public transport."
Usage: The word "person" functions only as a noun and does not have a valid verb form in standard English. If you need to describe an action related to someone, use verbs like "meet," "address," or "interact with" instead of trying to conjugate "person."
A patronymic surname.
"In his family history, he discovered that "Persons" was actually a patronymic surname derived from his great-grandfather's first name."
Derived from Old French personne and Latin persona, the term originally referred to a theatrical mask or role played by an actor. It later evolved in English to denote any individual human being with legal rights and responsibilities.