Whom

/huːm/ pronoun

Definition

An object form of 'who,' used after prepositions or as the object of a verb in very formal English. In everyday speech, people often just use 'who' instead.

Etymology

From Old English 'hwām' or 'hwǣm', the dative (object) form of 'hwā' ('who'). It survived mainly in formal writing as English lost many of its case endings.

Kelly Says

English used to mark grammar with different word endings, like many other languages still do. 'Whom' is a leftover piece of that older system, which is why it feels so formal now.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

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