second person

American  

[sek-uhnd pur-suhn] / ˈsɛk ənd ˈpɜr sən /

noun

1. the grammatical person used by the speaker of an utterance in referring to the one second person singular or ones second person plural being spoken to.

2. a pronoun or verb form in the second person, as the pronoun you in English, or a set of such forms.

---

second person British  

noun

1. a grammatical category of pronouns and verbs used when referring to or describing the individual or individuals being addressed

---

Etymology

Origin of second person

First recorded in 1665–75

Example Sentences

A second person is chosen by the union and a third person by the district.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The suspect was accompanied by a second person, who appeared to be taking photos and videos with a mobile phone but who fled when police arrived.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Chief technical officer Nick Chester, technical director of Renault F1 from 2013-20 and subsequently the title-winning Mercedes Formula E team, was the second person to sign after Lowdon.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

The form for the second person on the list bore the initials of a member of her staff, who’d helped the man register — at his naturalization ceremony.

From Salon • Feb. 27, 2026

The thought of the second person, especially one as green as Derek, had not somehow hit him until just then, in late afternoon.

From "The River" by Gary Paulsen