Meaning & Definition of word "Pronoun"

Pronoun

/ˈproʊnaʊn/

1. A pronoun is a word that substitutes for a noun or noun phrase in a sentence.
- Example: In the sentence 'She loves reading,' 'she' is a pronoun that refers to a person.
2. Pronouns can indicate specific people or things, such as personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, and relative pronouns.
- Example: In 'This is the book that I was talking about,' 'that' is a relative pronoun.
3. Pronouns can also function to show possession.
- Example: The word 'yours' in the phrase 'This is yours' is a possessive pronoun.

From Latin 'pronomen', where 'pro' means 'for' and 'nomen' means 'name'.

personal pronoun:

Refers to specific persons or things (he, she, it, etc.).

demonstrative pronoun:

Points to specific things (this, that).

relative pronoun:

Introduces relative clauses (who, which, that).

antecedent:

The noun a pronoun refers to.

reflexive pronoun:

Refers back to the subject (myself, yourself).

possessive pronoun:

Indicates ownership (mine, yours).

Meaning: Used in gender discussions to indicate someone’s identity.

Example Sentence: People might ask for your pronouns to respect your identity.

Meaning: Slang shorthand for preferred gender pronouns.

Example Sentence: My pronouns are she/her, so please use them.