who

objective whom · possessive whose

1. interrogativenominativepluralsingularWhat person or people; which person or people; asks for the identity of someone; used in a direct or indirect question.

   Who says they care? —They themselves do.

   5 more examples

   You're getting married‽ Who to? (direct question)

   I don't know who it is. (indirect question)

   Who is coming to your party? Who are your favourite singers?

   Ia[go]. Hee’s married. Caſ[ſio]. To who? […] Ia[go]. Marry to. ---- Come Captaine, will you goe? Oth[ello]. Ha, with who?

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 8

   Chorban: I don't really think my scanning disturbs them, but the authorities might disagree. Chorban: I'd like to do it more openly, but it's not really worth getting arrested over. Shepard: I could help you out. I'm not worried about the authorities. Chorban: I don't even know who you are.

   2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel

2. Introduces a relative clause having a human antecedent.
   1. nominativepluralrelativesingularWith antecedent as subject.

      That's the man who works at the newsagent. (defining)

      3 more examples

      My sister, who works in the accounts department, just got promoted to manager. (non-defining)

      Despite personal schisms and differences in spiritual experience, there is a very coherent theology of Snape shared between the wives. To examine this manifestation of religious fandom, I will first discuss the canon scepticism and anti-Rowling sentiment that helps to contextualise the wider belief in Snape as a character who extends beyond book and film.

      2014 March 3, Zoe Alderton, “‘Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom”, in Religions, volume 5, number 1, MDPI, →DOI, pages 219–257

      Yeah, so we just want to stand with our immigrant community, uh we note that our neighbors are being killed by ICE and there's no accountability, there's no justice; so we just want to stand with them here and note that they're not alone and that there's people who support them.

      2026 July 18, Kat, quotee, 0:40 from the start, in Charlotte residents rally against ICE killings across the country, WCNC-TV, via YouTube, archived from the original on 19 Jul 2026

   2. nominativepluralrelativesingularnon-formalWith antecedent as object: whom.

      That's the man who I saw earlier.

      1 more example

      My brother, who you met the other day, is coming to stay for the weekend.

3. nominativepluralsingularfused relative; archaic or marginal; fused relative; archaic or marginalWhoever, he who, they who.

   Who dares wins.

   3 more examples

   Who insults my mother insults me.

   Give it to who deserves it.

   Who steals my purse steals trash.

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]

4. informalnominativepluralsingularespecially non-USAlso used with names of collective nouns that are groups of people, especially singularly-named musical groups or sports teams.

   Who are the Miami Heat?

plural whos

1. A person under discussion; a question of which person.

   A wham-bam caper flick, efficiently directed by Roger Donaldson, that fancifully revisits the mysterious whos and speculative hows of a 1971 London bank heist.

   2008 March 21, The New York Times, “Movie Guide and Film Series”, in New York Times

1. dialectalinterrogativeAfrican-American Vernacularwhose

   Who phone just rang?

alternative W.H.O. · alternative W. H. O.

1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of World Health Organization.

   Trump initiated the year-long withdrawal process from the WHO in 2020 but six months later his successor, President Joe Biden, reversed the decision.

   2024 December 23, Maggie Fick and Ahmed Aboulenein, “Trump transition team plans immediate WHO withdrawal, expert says”, in Reuters

1. honorificHonorific alternative letter-case form of who, sometimes used when referring to God or another important figure who is understood from context.

   I make my pilgrimage to Thee O God, Who art the pilgrim's hope! Praised be the Virgin, sweet and pure! Be gracious to the pilgrimage.

   2008, Music for Sight Singing, →ISBN, page 254

1. slanglifestyleThe television show Doctor Who.

   This is as wildly different to any episode of Who so far. It's fab.

   2015, Ray Dexter, Doctor Who Episode By Episode: Volume 1 William Hartnell, →ISBN

   1 more example

   After three event episodes in a row (the finale, Christmas special and season opener), “Tooth and Claw” is the first “regular” episode of Who we've had in a while.

   2012, Graeme Burk, Robert Smith., Who Is the Doctor: The Unofficial Guide to Doctor Who, →ISBN, page 78