- used in questions to ask about the name, identity or function of one or more people
- Who is that woman?
- I wonder who that letter was from.
- Who are you phoning?
- Who's the money for?
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
- used to show which person or people you mean
- The people who called yesterday want to buy the house.
- The people (who) we met in France have sent us a card.
- used to give more information about somebody
- Mrs Smith, who has a lot of teaching experience at junior level, will be joining the school in September.
- And then Mary, who we had been talking about earlier, walked in.
compare whom
Word OriginOld English hwā, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wie and German wer.
Idioms
See who in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee who in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishwho am I, who are you, etc. to do something?
- used to ask what right or authority somebody has to do something
- Who are you to tell me I can't park here?
Check pronunciation:
who