anybody

Anybody is an English indefinite pronoun used to refer to an unspecified person. It can function as the subject or the object of a verb and is equivalent in meaning to “any person,” “anyone,” or “somebody” in most contexts.

Formality and usage: In formal writing, “anyone” is often preferred, while “anybody” is more common in speech and informal writing. Both forms are used in questions and negative clauses: “Did anybody call?” “I don’t know anybody here.” In affirmative statements, “Anybody can learn this” expresses generalability.

Origins and notes: The word is a compound of “any” and “body,” established in Early Modern English. It belongs to a family of indefinite pronouns that includes “anyone,” “someone,” and “everybody,” and remains productive in modern English.

Idioms and examples: Common expressions include “it's anybody's guess” to indicate uncertainty about the outcome. In everyday speech, questions such as “Is anybody there?” and negatives like “I didn’t see anybody” are frequent.

See also: Indefinite pronoun; Anyone; Everybody; Someone.