What does whodunit mean?
Whodunit is an informal noun for a mystery story, especially one involving murder or another serious crime. Its name combines the question “who” with “did it,” signaling the central puzzle of identifying the culprit. The word is used for novels, short stories, films, television programmes, and other works in which readers or viewers investigate a crime and try to understand what happened. Whodunit has a playful, conversational quality and is strongly associated with classic detective and mystery fiction, particularly the work of Ellery Queen. Although the term is especially associated with crime fiction, it can also refer more broadly to puzzle-driven entertainment. It is useful because it identifies a recognizable storytelling form in a single, memorable word.
nounAn informal term for a mystery story, especially one involving a crime or murder that requires the reader to determine who committed it.
- A mystery story, especially one involving a murder or other crime whose perpetrator must be identified.
"The novel is a tightly plotted whodunit set in a remote English manor."
"We spent the evening discussing the final twist of the whodunit."
"The bookshop has a whole shelf devoted to classic British whodunits."
The plural is grammatical but comparatively uncommon.
"The library offers a collection of classic whodunits."
Coined in the 1930s and closely associated with the detective fiction of Ellery Queen, whodunit has become a perfect label for mysteries that keep readers asking, “Who did it?”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does whodunit come from?
Whodunit is a blend of the words “who,” “do,” and “it,” forming a compressed version of the question “Who did it?” The term emerged in the 1930s and is commonly credited to American mystery writer Ellery Queen. Its development reflects the rise of detective fiction and the genre’s emphasis on discovering the identity of a murderer.
How whodunit is actually used
The word is informal and literary in tone, though it is widely used in publishing, criticism, and everyday conversation about detective fiction. It usually denotes a story centered on solving a crime rather than a mystery in the broader sense.