What does someone mean?
Someone is an indefinite pronoun used for a person who is not specified or whose identity is unknown. It commonly introduces information about a person’s actions, as in “Someone called while you were away,” and can also refer to a person of importance or distinction, as in “He was someone who changed the course of history.” The word is flexible in register, appearing naturally in everyday conversation, formal writing, and public discourse. Unlike a proper name, it leaves the person unidentified; unlike a more specific noun such as neighbour or teacher, it provides no further context. Someone is closely related in meaning to somebody, anyone, and anybody, but differs from “everyone” or “no one” because it denotes at least one person without identifying that person. Its construction from “some” and “one” also links it conceptually to related indefinite forms such as something and somewhere.
pronounAn indefinite pronoun meaning a person who is not specified or whose identity is unknown. It can also mean an unspecified person of some importance or significance.
- An unspecified person or a person whose identity is not known.
- An unspecified person considered important, significant, or noteworthy.
"Someone left an umbrella by the entrance."
"Someone has already signed the form."
"The award was intended to recognize someone who had changed the field."
Someone keeps the conversation open without committing you to a name.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does someone come from?
Someone is formed in Middle English from “some” and the pronoun “one,” meaning an unspecified individual. The compound follows a productive English pattern that also produced somebody, something, and somewhere. Its modern use is an ordinary continuation of this older formation, with the two elements still conveying the sense of an unspecified person.
How someone is actually used
Someone is standard in formal and informal English. In conversation, it often means an unknown or vaguely identified person, while 'someone' in the second sense can refer to a person of significance.
Easily confused with someone
Someone and somebody are usually interchangeable, although somebody can sometimes suggest a particular, previously mentioned or vaguely familiar person.