Meaning & use
a person of interest
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phraselegallaw
someone the police want to question about a crime but have not charged
Grammar: Always used with 'a' or 'the': 'a person of interest'. The plural is 'people of interest' or 'persons of interest' in legal contexts.
Patterns
- a person of interest in a case
- named as a person of interest
Police have named a person of interest in the robbery investigation.
He was interviewed as a person of interest but later released.
phrasefixed phraseformal
someone who is important or interesting to a particular group
Grammar: Less common; usually in business or social contexts to mean someone worth paying attention to.
Patterns
- a person of interest to someone
For investors, she is a person of interest because of her tech background.
Word forms
| plural | people of interest |
|---|---|
| plural (legal) | persons of interest |
Common combinations
- named as a person of interest
- The witness was named as a person of interest.
- a person of interest in the case
- Detectives questioned a person of interest in the case.
- interview a person of interest
- The FBI interviewed a person of interest yesterday.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: a person of interest or person of color?
a person of interest vs person of color
This is a completely different phrase meaning someone who is not white. Do not confuse it with 'person of interest'.
Practice
The police described him as a person of interest, which means they ____.
Choose one answer.
A person of interest is someone the police want to question, not necessarily someone charged or arrested. Option 1 is wrong because charging is a formal accusation, and option 3 is wrong because arrest is more serious.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a person of interest”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.