whose

[ hooz ]

pronoun

1. (the possessive case of who used as an adjective):

   Whose umbrella did I take? Whose is this one?

2. (the possessive case of which used as an adjective):

   a word whose meaning escapes me; an animal whose fur changes color.

3. the one or ones belonging to what person or persons:

   Whose painting won the third prize?

whose

/ huːz /

determiner

1. 1. of whom? belonging to whom? used in direct and indirect questions

      I told him whose fault it was

      whose car is this?

   2. ( as pronoun )

      whose is that?

2. of whom; belonging to whom; of which; belonging to which: used as a relative pronoun

   a house whose windows are broken

Usage Note

Sometimes the phrase of which is used as the possessive of which: Chicago is a city of which the attractions are many or Chicago is a city the attractions of which are many. The use of this phrase can often seem awkward or pretentious, whereas whose sounds more idiomatic: Chicago is a city whose attractions are many.

Word History and Origins

Origin of whose¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English whos, early Middle English hwās; replacing hwas, Old English hwæs, genitive of interrogative pronoun hwā who

Word History and Origins

Origin of whose¹

Old English hwæs, genitive of hwā who and hwæt what

Example Sentences

It was also a big test for Liberal leader Mark Carney, who has a slight lead in the polls, but whose French is the weakest among the federal leaders.

From BBC

Singh, of the left-leaning NDP, sought to paint both Poilievre and Carney as the wrong option for Canadians whose jobs may be affected by US tariffs.

From BBC

Don’t expect USC to pursue Nico Iamaleava, whose tenure ended at Tennessee after trying and failing to leverage the transfer portal for more NIL money.

From Los Angeles Times

Shi Lili, 69, whose granddaughter is accompanying her, says the travelling spirit of her youth has been rekindled: "When I was young I really liked exploring other places by myself. Now I'm older, I have my family who can go with me."

From BBC

Fans arrived at Resorts World Las Vegas expecting fun games and exclusive experiences from MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, but some said they waited in their hotel rooms for their mystery bags and were underwhelmed.

From BBC