Pronoun: meaning, definitions and examples

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pronoun

[ ˈprəʊnaʊn ]

Noun

^{Context #1 | Noun}

grammar

A pronoun is a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g. I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g. she, it, this).

Synonyms

replacement word, substitute.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
pronoun	Also used in the context of gender and identity to address someone's chosen pronouns like he, she, or they. 'Alex goes by the pronouns they/them '
replacement word	Commonly used in casual language to refer to any word that substitutes another word to avoid repetition. 'Instead of using 'difficult' again, you might use a replacement word like 'challenging' '
substitute	Often used in general contexts to refer to any alternative option, not limited to words. 'If you don't have sugar, you can use honey as a substitute '

Word

Description / Examples

pronoun

Also used in the context of gender and identity to address someone's chosen pronouns like he, she, or they.

'Alex goes by the pronouns they/them
'

replacement word

Commonly used in casual language to refer to any word that substitutes another word to avoid repetition.

'Instead of using 'difficult' again, you might use a replacement word like 'challenging'
'

substitute

Often used in general contexts to refer to any alternative option, not limited to words.

'If you don't have sugar, you can use honey as a substitute
'

Examples of usage

He
she
it
they
this

^{Context #2 | Noun}

language

A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence. It is used to avoid repetition of the noun and make the sentence less cumbersome.

Synonyms

placeholder, substitute word.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
pronoun	Used to replace nouns in sentences to avoid repetition and make sentences clearer. She is going to the store. They have finished their homework.
substitute word	A word used in place of another, usually to avoid repetition or when the specific word is unknown. Can be considered similar to a pronoun but broader in usage. 'Thing' can be used as a substitute word when you can't remember the specific item. In storytelling, 'hero' is often a substitute word for the main character.
placeholder	A symbol or character used temporarily to mark a spot that will be filled in later, often used in programming or templates. In the equation 4 + x = 10, 'x' is the placeholder. This draft uses 'NAME' as a placeholder for the recipient.

Word

Description / Examples

pronoun

Used to replace nouns in sentences to avoid repetition and make sentences clearer.

She is going to the store.
They have finished their homework.

substitute word

A word used in place of another, usually to avoid repetition or when the specific word is unknown. Can be considered similar to a pronoun but broader in usage.

'Thing' can be used as a substitute word when you can't remember the specific item.
In storytelling, 'hero' is often a substitute word for the main character.

placeholder

A symbol or character used temporarily to mark a spot that will be filled in later, often used in programming or templates.

In the equation 4 + x = 10, 'x' is the placeholder.
This draft uses 'NAME' as a placeholder for the recipient.

Examples of usage

Instead of saying 'John is a teacher. John is very smart.', we can use 'John is a teacher. He is very smart.'

Translations

Translations of the word "pronoun" in other languages:

🇵🇹 pronome

🇮🇳 सर्वनाम

🇩🇪 Pronomen

🇮🇩 kata ganti

🇺🇦 займенник

🇵🇱 zaimek

🇯🇵 代名詞 (だいめいし)

🇫🇷 pronom

🇪🇸 pronombre

🇹🇷 zamir

🇰🇷 대명사 (daemyeongsa)

🇸🇦 ضمير

🇨🇿 zájmeno

🇸🇰 zámeno

🇨🇳 代词 (dàicí)

🇸🇮 zaimek

🇮🇸 fornafn

🇰🇿 есімдік

🇬🇪 ნაცვალსახელი

🇦🇿 əvəzlik

🇲🇽 pronombre

Etymology

The word 'pronoun' originated from the late Middle English word 'pronoun' which came from the Latin word 'pronomen' meaning 'a pronoun'. The concept of pronouns has been present in various languages throughout history, as they serve the purpose of replacing nouns to make sentences more concise and less repetitive.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranked #11,173, this word falls into high-advanced vocabulary. It appears less frequently but is valuable for expressing precise meanings in specific contexts.

...
11170 genetically
11171 malt
11172 keenly
11173 pronoun
11174 stains
11175 progeny
11176 planetary
...