SKIP TO CONTENT

someone

/ˌsəmˈwən/

/ˈsəmwən/

Other forms: someones

The word someone refers a person or an individual, but not necessarily a specific one. If you're not hungry enough for dessert after lunch, you can ask the friends at your table, "Does someone want my ice cream sandwich?"

It's a funny contradiction, but the noun someone can be used to mean "any unspecified person," but also "a very important person." So a child might say, "When I grow up, I want to be someone," meaning that they want to be well-known or famous, or just really good at something. Someone and somebody are synonyms, so you can use them interchangeably, although someone is slightly more formal.

Definitions of someone
  1. noun
    a human being
    synonyms: individual, mortal, person, somebody, soul
    see moresee less
    type of:
    being, organism
    a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently
    causal agency, causal agent, cause
    any entity that produces an effect or is responsible for events or results
Pronunciation
US

/ˌsəmˈwən/

UK

/ˈsəmwən/

Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘someone'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE

Look up someone for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.

VocabTrainer - Vocabulary.com's Vocabulary Trainer