first-per·son
ˈfərs(t)-ˈpər-sᵊn 
variants
or less commonly first person
1
: of, relating to, or occurring in the first person
a first-person narrative
a first-person verb form
2
: experienced as if through the eyes of an avatar (as in a video game)
As 3-D first-person games evolved, … visual verisimilitude improved …—
Ian Bogost
Ian BogostWhen playing as the lead guitarist in first person mode players will see fans react to how they play.—Sean Michael
see also first-person shooter
Sean Michael1
a
: a set of linguistic forms (such as verb forms, pronouns, and inflectional affixes) referring to the speaker or writer of the utterance in which they occur
b
: a linguistic form belonging to such a set
c
: reference of a linguistic form to the speaker or writer of the utterance in which it occurs
2
: a style of discourse marked by general use of verbs and pronouns of the first person
Examples of first-person in a Sentence
Noun
She always wrote in the first person.
The sentence “I was born in Maine” is written in the first person.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Flora is the granddaughter of Princess Alexandra, a first cousin of the late Queen, and opened up about her diagnosis in a first-person essay for British Vogue on May 25.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 26 May 2025
Encounters, the new exhibit, uses storytelling bolstered by state-of-the-art audio and video technology to share first-person narratives from individuals whose lives were deeply impacted by the Great War.
—Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2025
The first entry had a pretty simple premise: Imagine an open-world first-person shooter with Diablo-like RPG elements.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for first-person
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Adjective
His first-person stories include supersonic flights in eight separate aircraft pulling up to 9 Gs and flying to 84,000 ft; driving a Bugatti at 253 mph and Indy cars at 200 mph; expeditions to the North and South Poles; summiting the Matterhorn and 23,000-ft.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
Flora is the granddaughter of Princess Alexandra, a first cousin of the late Queen, and opened up about her diagnosis in a first-person essay for British Vogue on May 25.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 26 May 2025
Encounters, the new exhibit, uses storytelling bolstered by state-of-the-art audio and video technology to share first-person narratives from individuals whose lives were deeply impacted by the Great War.
—Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2025
The first entry had a pretty simple premise: Imagine an open-world first-person shooter with Diablo-like RPG elements.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for first-person
Cite this Entry
“First-person.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/first-person. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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