who's who

plural who's whos · alternative Who's Who

1. capitalizedcountablesometimesA publication containing biographies of well-known or important people.

   Nearly every country has now a Who's Who, which gives a brief outline of the life and work of living men who have distinguished themselves in various ways.

   1914, The Everyman Encyclopædia

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   But when a living person's profession or vocation is known, it is well to consult first a biographical dictionary in that field, for it often contains more names than the more general who's whos.

   2001, James H. Sweetland, Fundamental Reference Sources, Chicago and London: American Library Association, →ISBN, page 243

2. countableA list of notable, famous, or upper-class people.

   In the growing who's who of Negro educators, the name of Cleo W. Blackburn, 45, ranks high.

   1954 November 22, “Education: Something for Cleo”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 Dec 2011

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   Mr. Clinton's candidates, a veritable who's who of New York Democrats, include Carol Bellamy, the former City Council president; Sandra Feldman, head of the United Federation of Teachers in New York City, and Representative Gary L. Ackerman of Queens.

   2002 April 6, “The 1992 campaign: Delegates; how New York voters determine who fills seats at Democratic Convention”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC

   With glittering names from a who's who of Australian art on her walls she would laugh: "Not just glittering names, glittering examples of their work, too."

   2010 February 11, “Dealer to the who’s who of Australian art”, in Sydney Morning Herald

3. uncountableCollectively, the elite class.
4. countableA person appearing in a Who's Who publication.

   Sixty-one From Wisconsin Make Debut as Who's Whos [headline]:

   1942, Milwaukee Journal

5. countableA celebrity or famous person, someone likely to be in such a publication.
6. idiomaticuncountableThe identities of specific people, understood in terms of such distinguishing characteristics as their backgrounds, prominence, achievements, jobs, etc., as a basis for comparing them and especially as a basis for ranking them within a social group.

   Readers will conjure up many a conjecture over who's who in this literary gallery.

   1937 September 27, “Fiction: Recent Books”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 Jan 2012

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   Mrs. Falconer cannot well avoid asking you to some of her entertainments, and it will be pleasant to you to know who's who beforehand.

   1814, Maria Edgeworth, chapter XXIII, in Patronage. […], volume II, London: […] [J. M‘Creery] for J[oseph] Johnson and Co., […], →OCLC, page 348

   "Milly, it's true," she said, to be exact, "has no natural sense of social values, doesn't in the least understand our differences or know who's who or what's what."

   1902 August 21, Henry James, chapter XX, in The Wings of the Dove, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC

   "I'll learn 'im to insult a respectable British tradesman. I'll show him who's who."

   1902, W. W. Jacobs, chapter 5, in At Sunwich Port

1. alternativeuncountableAlternative form of who's who.