who
14 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of WHO
1
a
:
what or which person or people
— used when you do not know the name or identity of a person or group of people that you are talking about or asking about
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Who will be the next president?
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Who is standing next to you in this photo?
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I didn't know who he was.
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Find out who they are.
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I wonder who else signed up.
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Who should walk in [=who do you think walked in] when we least expected it? My parents!
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She isn't sure who she talked to.
b
— used to question a person's character or authority
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Who are they to tell us what to do? [=what makes them think they can tell us what to do?]
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Who do you think you are? [=what gives you the right to say or do this?]
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Who do you think you're talking to? [=what gives you the right to speak to me in this (rude) manner?]
c
— used in questions that are meant to say that no one would or would not do something, know something, etc.
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They may come or not. Who cares? [=no one cares; I don't care]
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Of course I would love to win a million dollars. Who wouldn't? [=anyone would]
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“Are they coming?” “Who knows?” [=no one knows; I don't know]
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Who are we kidding? [=we aren't kidding/fooling anyone]
2
— used after a noun or pronoun to show which group of people you are talking about
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Subscribers who are interested in joining the discussion group should contact the secretary.
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The people who conducted the study were extremely professional.
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Someone who handles stress well will be more suited for the job.
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I have a friend who my parents don't like.
3
— used to introduce an additional statement about someone who has already been mentioned
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His patient, who was a well-known television personality, suffered a minor stroke.
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The former president of the company, who is retired now, is credited with expanding and improving the product line.
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Her uncle, who she's very fond of, lives next door.
who's who
1
or
who is who
:
information about the people who make up a group
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We had lived in this town long enough to know who was who. [=to know the names of the different people, what they did, etc.]
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I'm still learning who's who around the office.
2
a
:
a list of the names of the important and well-known people in a particular field
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The guest list reads like a who's who of the publishing industry.
b
:
the important and well-known people in a particular field
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The convention was attended by a who's who of the publishing industry.
