person of interest

noun phrase

: a person who is believed to be possibly involved in a crime but has not been charged or arrested

Examples of person of interest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Investigators said Parkman, who had been released from prison six months before the incident, was being considered a person of interest in the case, and by the following month, he had been charged with burglarizing the home and murdering Haynie. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2026 Dozens of persons of interest and numerous alleged sightings were investigated. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026 O'Neal Flemming was identified as a person of interest in the killings. — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 Detectives identified a person of interest and obtained a search warrant for a residence. — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for person of interest

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of person of interest was in 1937

Rhymes for person of interest

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Browse Nearby Words

person of inherence
person of interest
person-to-person
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Cite this Entry

“Person of interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/person%20of%20interest. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Legal Definition

person of interest

: a person who is believed to be possibly involved in a crime but has not been charged or arrested
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