Personthat

Personthat is a coined term used in certain linguistic, computational, and data-labeling discussions to denote a generic, unspecified person. It is not part of standard English, and its usage is limited to specific communities or exercises where identity is unknown or intentionally anonymized. The word is typically written as a single compound, "personthat," though some writers choose to hyphenate or separate it in examples.

In linguistics and pedagogy, personthat serves as a placeholder in sentences designed to illustrate grammar, relative clauses, or pronoun resolution. For example: "The personthat called this morning left a message." Users may compare "the personthat" with "the person who" to discuss nuance in formality and clarity. It is not prescriptive and is used for instructional purposes rather than formal writing.

In computing and data handling, personthat has emerged as a stand-in token in synthetic data generation, natural language prompts, and privacy-preserving datasets. Using "personthat" helps avoid exposing real individuals while keeping syntax similar to natural language.

Status and reception: The term has no official recognition and its acceptance varies by field. Critics note potential confusion with standard pronouns or with the phrase "the person that," which could hinder readability. When writing for broad audiences, it is usually better to use conventional forms such as "the person who" or "someone." See also: placeholder, dummy variable, pronoun.