whose
adjective
\ ˈhüz
, üz\
, üz\
Definition of whose
(Entry 1 of 2)
: of or relating to whom or which especially as possessor or possessors
whose gorgeous vesture heaps the ground— Robert Browning
, agent or agents
the law courts, whose decisions were important— F. L. Mott
, or object or objects of an action
the first poem whose publication he ever sanctioned— J. W. Krutch
\ ˈhüz
, üz\
, üz\
Definition of whose (Entry 2 of 2)
: that which belongs to whom
—used without a following noun as a pronoun equivalent in meaning to the adjective whose tell me whose it was— William Shakespeare
Examples of whose in a Sentence
Adjective
The granddaddy of all metafictional novels was Tristram Shandy, whose narrator's dialogues with his imaginary readers are only one of many ways in which Sterne foregrounds the gap between art and life that conventional realism seeks to conceal. — David Lodge, The Art of Fiction, 1992 In early times when I sat with my grandfather … I was puzzled about the relation between the Davis who had lived in a world of great events and my Old Jeff, whose name had entered into the common speech of the region … — Robert Penn Warren, Jefferson Davis Gets His Citizenship Back, 1980 He was a flamboyant, excited person whose eyes darted here and there, like a child's, afraid of what they might miss. — E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, 1974Pronoun, singular or plural in construction
Though life here is a dangerous business for olive trees, in summer the children roam the streets alone, and well into the night. Everyone knows whose are whose, and keeps an eye out. — David Leavitt, Travel & Leisure, May 2000 And now for the Ignorance and Folly which he reproaches us with, let us see (if we are Fools and Ignoramus's) whose is the Fault, the Men's or our's. — Benjamin Franklin 28 May 1722, in Benjamin Franklin Writings, 1987Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Lynn Bowman, an African-American author whose written on the history of the area, told the Times-News that a third theory attributes the name to that area being a former place of African American lynchings. — Essence, "Signs Marking 'Negro Mountain’ Removed From Maryland Highways," 9 Sep. 2019 Before his sudden, accidental death, Jacob was a maverick researcher whose work connected neuroscience with shamanism. — Judy Berman, Time, "Undone, From the Team Behind BoJack Horseman, Is the Perfect Sci-Fi Series for 2019," 9 Sep. 2019 Right-hander Ryan Castellani, whose Triple-A season was limited to 10 starts due to elbow issues, will compete in the Arizona Fall League. — Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, "Rockies’ starting rotation for 2020 needs an extreme makeover," 8 Sep. 2019 Five crew members jumped overboard after trying to rescue the 33 scuba divers and one crew member whose escape routes were blocked by fire, federal authorities and the boat's owner said. — NBC News, "Search warrants served in probe of California boat fire that killed 34 people," 8 Sep. 2019 The story about two friends whose husbands left them—for each other—is captivating, heartbreaking, and hilarious. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Netflix's 'Grace and Frankie' Is Ending After Season 7 and We're Wrecked," 8 Sep. 2019 Susan Korn, whose brand Susan Alexandra has become famous for its colorful beaded bags, told the outlet. — Sara Radin, Teen Vogue, "Why Are We All Dressing Like Children?," 7 Sep. 2019 Now, the actor (whose many credits also include The Shawshank Redemption, Die Hard 2, and Iron Man 3) is returning to the role of everyone’s least favorite visitor in Bill & Ted Face the Music (out Aug. 21). — Clark Collis, EW.com, "Bill & Ted Face the Music behind-the-scenes photo reveals return of Grim Reaper," 6 Sep. 2019 Five crew members jumped overboard after trying to rescue the 33 scuba divers and one crew member whose escape routes were blocked by fire, federal authorities and the boat's owner said. — Stefanie Dazio, chicagotribune.com, "Smoke, not fire, blamed for 34 deaths in California dive boat disaster," 6 Sep. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whose.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for whose
whose
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of whose
(Entry 1 of 2)
—used in questions to ask who owns something, has something, etc.
—used to show which person or thing you are talking about
—used to give more information about a person or thing that has already been mentioned
whose
pronoun
English Language Learners Definition of whose (Entry 2 of 2)
: that or those belonging to a person
See the full definition for whose in the English Language Learners Dictionary
whose
adjective
\ ˈhüz
\
\
Kids Definition of whose
(Entry 1 of 2)
: of or relating to whom or which
Whose bag is it? This is the book whose cover is torn.
whose
pronounKids Definition of whose (Entry 2 of 2)
: that or those belonging to whom
Let me know whose are chosen.
Keep scrolling for more