whom

pron

1. (formal, interrogative, often)What person or people; which person or people.

   “Whom did you ask?”

2. (formal, interrogative, often)What person or people; which person or people.

   “To whom are you referring?”

   “With whom were you talking?”

   “The stories did not seem to me to touch life. They were plainly intended to have a bracing moral effect, and perhaps had this result for the people at whom they were aimed.”

   “He read the letter aloud. Sophia listened with the studied air of one for whom, even in these days, a title possessed some surreptitious allurement.”

   ““A very hearty pip-pip to you, old ancestor,” I said, well pleased, for she is a woman with whom it is always a privilege to chew the fat. “And a rousing toodle-oo to you, you young blot on the landscape,” she replied cordially.”

3. (formal, often, relative)Used to refer to a previously mentioned person or people.

   “That is the woman whom I spoke to earlier. (defining)”

   “Mr Smith, whom we all know well, will be giving the speech. (non-defining)”

   “He's a person with whom I work (defining)”

   “We have ten employees, half of whom are carpenters. (non-defining)”

   “There is a new girl in the class whom I consider to be a wunderkind.”

4. (formal, often)The person(s) whom; whomever.

   “To whom it may concern, all business of John Smith Ltd. has now been transferred to Floggitt & Runne.”

5. (formal, informal, often)Also used with names of collective nouns that are groups of people, especially singularly-named musical groups or sports teams.

   “Whom was Lemmy bassist for? Motörhead!”

6. (alt-of, honorific)Honorific alternative letter-case form of whom, sometimes used when referring to God or another important figure who is understood from context.