What does nobody mean?
Nobody is an indefinite pronoun meaning that there is no person, no one, or not a single individual involved in a situation. It can stand as the subject of a clause, as in 'Nobody came,' or appear after a verb such as 'saw' or 'called.' The word is common in both British and American English and can be used in formal as well as informal contexts, though 'no one' may be preferred in some formal writing. In the less common noun sense, 'a nobody' describes someone regarded as unimportant or lacking influence. The expression 'nobody's business' means something that is nobody else's concern. Although simple and everyday in appearance, nobody is formed from the Old English elements 'no' and 'body,' and it shares its construction with words such as somebody, anybody, and everybody.
An indefinite pronoun meaning no person or no one.
"Nobody was willing to admit that the plan had failed."
Usually used in statements about people in general or an unspecified group. In formal contexts, 'no one' may be preferred.
A person considered insignificant, unimportant, or lacking social status.
"Despite his fame in the industry, he remained a nobody to the public."
This sense is negative and often dismissive; it is less common than the pronoun sense.
Only used in the noun sense meaning insignificant or unimportant people.
"They may have been nobodies when they started, but they became highly successful."
The word nobody is a complete sentence in a sense: it can stand alone to mean that no one is present or involved.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nobody come from?
Nobody is a compound formed from 'no' and 'body,' a construction that has been used in English since the medieval period. The word 'body' originally referred to a person, as it still can in expressions such as 'a strange body.' Later, 'somebody,' 'anybody,' and 'everybody' developed parallel forms based on the same pattern. The modern indefinite-pronoun sense is now the word's dominant use.
Related word forms
How nobody is actually used
In everyday use, 'nobody' is fully standard, although 'no one' can sound slightly more formal or emphatic. As a noun meaning an unimportant person, it is often negative and may sound dismissive.
Easily confused with nobody
Somebody means at least one person, whereas nobody means no person at all.
Nobody refers to people, while none usually refers to an absence or lack of a specified thing, amount, or category.