Personen

personen is the plural form of the noun persoon in Dutch, meaning a human being or individual, and it also appears as the plural form in German as Personen. In everyday language, it is used to refer to people in a group, as in two or more individuals. The term is also common in legal, administrative, and statistical contexts. In English-language contexts, equivalent terms are persons or people.

The word derives from Latin persona, historically meaning a mask worn by actors, later broadening to denote a social role or identity. Over time, the notion of a person has expanded beyond mere biology to include cognitive, moral, and legal dimensions in philosophy and law.

In philosophy, personhood refers to a status that can entail moral consideration, rights, agency, and self-awareness. Debates address which beings qualify as persons—humans, certain animals, or potentially artificial intelligences—and how this status should be applied in ethics, policy, and law.

In law, a distinction is made between natural persons and juridical (or legal) persons. Natural persons are human beings with inherent rights and duties. Juridical persons are non-human entities—such as corporations, governments, or associations—that are recognized by law as having rights, duties, and the capacity to own property, enter contracts, sue, or be sued.

Overall, personen serves as a practical term across language, law, philosophy, and administration to denote individuals and their social or legal identities.