person of interest

noun phrase

: a person who is believed to be possibly involved in a crime but has not been charged or arrested

Examples of person of interest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Responding officers grabbed a person of interest, another 15-year-old boy, for the shooting at the scene and brought him in for questioning. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026

McLemore became a person of interest after an Arlington Police Department crime scene officer recovered the defendant’s fingerprint from inside Rivas’ Kingfisher Lane house. — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026

Katsilometes was one of numerous persons of interest authorities examined and ruled out during the years-long investigation. — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026

Police identified six persons of interest who work in the judiciary department and would have had access to the vault, and one of those people was currently out of the country, Tudravu said during a news conference. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for person of interest

• noninterest

Legal Definition

person of interest

: a person who is believed to be possibly involved in a crime but has not been charged or arrested