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See under (def 12).
a human being, whether an adult or child:
The table seats four persons.
a human being as distinguished from an animal or a thing.
an individual human being who likes or prefers something specified (used in combination):
I’ve never been a cat person.
Sociology. an individual human being, especially with reference to his or her social relationships and behavioral patterns as conditioned by the culture.
Philosophy. a self-conscious or rational being.
the actual self or individual of a human being:
You ought not to generalize, but to consider the person you are dealing with.
the body of a living human being, sometimes including the clothes being worn:
He had no money on his person.
the body in its external aspect:
an attractive person to look at.
a character, part, or role, as in a play or story.
an individual of distinction or importance.
a person not entitled to social recognition or respect.
Law. a human being (natural person) or a group of human beings, a corporation, a partnership, an estate, or other legal entity (artificial person or juristic person) recognized by law as having rights and duties.
Grammar. a category found in many languages that is used to distinguish between the speaker of an utterance and those to or about whom he or she is speaking. In English there are three persons in the pronouns, the first represented by I and we, the second by you, and the third by he, she, it, and they. Most verbs have distinct singular forms in the present tense, as writes; the verb be has, in addition, a singular form am.
Theology. any of the three hypostases or modes of being in the Trinity, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
be one’s own person, to be free from restrictions, control, or dictatorial influence:
Now that she’s working, she feels that she’s her own person.
in person, in one’s own bodily presence; personally:
Applicants are requested to apply in person.
Historical Examples

As a charter of incorporation, the bill creates an artificial person, previously not existing in law.
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. I (of 16) Thomas Hart Benton

A corporation is an artificial person, regarded in law as distinct from the individuals composing it.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 3 Various

A corporation is an artificial person having an existence in law, separate and apart from that of its members.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 3 Various

A corporation is an artificial person which must necessarily conduct its affairs through agents.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 3 Various

The laws of alienage cannot apply to an artificial person, because it can have no country.
Abridgement of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856 (4 of 16 vol.) Various

noun (pl) persons
an individual human being
the body of a human being, sometimes including his or her clothing: guns hidden on his person
a grammatical category into which pronouns and forms of verbs are subdivided depending on whether they refer to the speaker, the person addressed, or some other individual, thing, etc
a human being or a corporation recognized in law as having certain rights and obligations
(philosophy) a being characterized by consciousness, rationality, and a moral sense, and traditionally thought of as consisting of both a body and a mind or soul
(archaic) a character or role; guise
in person

actually present: the author will be there in person
without the help or intervention of others

noun
(Christianity) any of the three hypostases existing as distinct in the one God and constituting the Trinity. They are the First Person, the Father, the Second Person, the Son, and the Third Person, the Holy Ghost
n.

early 13c., from Old French persone “human being, anyone, person” (12c., Modern French personne) and directly from Latin persona “human being, person, personage; a part in a drama, assumed character,” originally “mask, false face,” such as those of wood or clay worn by the actors in later Roman theater. OED offers the general 19c. explanation of persona as “related to” Latin personare “to sound through” (i.e. the mask as something spoken through and perhaps amplifying the voice), “but the long o makes a difficulty ….” Klein and Barnhart say it is possibly borrowed from Etruscan phersu “mask.” Klein goes on to say this is ultimately of Greek origin and compares Persephone.

Of corporate entities from mid-15c. The use of -person to replace -man in compounds and avoid alleged sexist connotations is first recorded 1971 (in chairperson). In person “by bodily presence” is from 1560s. Person-to-person first recorded 1919, originally of telephone calls.

person per·son (pûr’sən)
n.

A living human.

The composite of characteristics that make up an individual personality; the self.

The living body of a human.

Physique and general appearance.

An inflectional form (see inflection) of pronouns and verbs that distinguishes between the person who speaks (first person), the person who is spoken to (second person), and the person who is spoken about (third person). The pronoun or verb may be singular or plural. For example:

first person singular: I walk.
second person singular: you walk.
third person singular: he/she/it walks.
first person plural: we walk.
second person plural: you walk.
third person plural: they walk.

In addition to the idiom beginning with
person
also see:

feel like oneself (a new person)
in person
own person, one’s