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
Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 8 June 2025
Ventimiglia is joined by Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) and Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) for the upcoming first-person shooter, which is set over over 40 years after the events of Black Ops 6.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
In first-person shooter Metroid Prime 4, players can shift from analog stick controls to hyper-precise aiming reminiscent of hardcore PC games.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
On June 1, Ukraine targeted several Russian air bases using first-person view (FPV) drones, cheap aerial vehicles which are remotely operated by pilots using camera feeds.
—Harry Law, Time, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for first-person
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Ukraine deployed first-person view, or FPV drones, in its attack on the Russian airfields.
—Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 8 June 2025
Ventimiglia is joined by Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead) and Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) for the upcoming first-person shooter, which is set over over 40 years after the events of Black Ops 6.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
In first-person shooter Metroid Prime 4, players can shift from analog stick controls to hyper-precise aiming reminiscent of hardcore PC games.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025
On June 1, Ukraine targeted several Russian air bases using first-person view (FPV) drones, cheap aerial vehicles which are remotely operated by pilots using camera feeds.
—Harry Law, Time, 5 June 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 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share