WHO'S WHO Definition & Meaning

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who's who

noun

a reference work containing short biographical entries on the outstanding persons in a country, industry, profession, etc..
a who's who in automotive engineering.
the outstanding or influential persons in a community, industry, profession, or other group.
The who's who of racing will be there.

who's who

noun

a book or list containing the names and short biographies of famous people

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of who's who¹

First recorded in 1840–50

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Idioms and Phrases

The outstanding or best-known individuals of a group, as in Tonight's concert features a veritable who's who of musicians. This expression comes from the name of a famous reference work, Who's Who, first published in 1849, which contains biographical sketches of famous individuals and is regularly updated. Its name in turn was based on who is who, that is, the identity of each of a number of persons, a phrase dating from the late 1300s. [Early 1900s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

It’s a who’s who of players who have been great in youth softball and college softball.

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"I will research and look into who's who," he added.

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The donors are often a who’s who of local corporate elites, often with business before the city.

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There was no NFL team in Los Angeles at the time, and Carroll’s sidelines were always a who’s who of the entertainment industry.

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While Mexican crime lords do wield their own militias which occasionally engage the armed forces in open combat – sometimes even wearing their own uniforms and insignia – for the most part they’re more like insurgents than regular armies, deeply embedded in local communities, where it’s not always obvious who’s who.

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whosoever WH-question

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