Nobody

/ˈnoʊˌbɑːdi/ pronoun; noun

Definition

Pronoun: no person at all. Noun: a person who is not important or not well known.

Etymology

Formed in English from “no” + “body,” first appearing in Middle English. Originally it meant literally “no person,” and later gained the sense of an unimportant person.

Kelly Says

It’s funny that “somebody,” “anybody,” and “nobody” all use “body” to mean “person,” even though we usually think of bodies as just the physical part. In older English, “body” and “soul” together really meant the whole person, so “nobody” is like saying “no whole person at all.”

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.