Person of interest
noun phrase
Definition
A person who the police think might have been involved in a crime, but who has not been charged or arrested.
Context Alive
The detective held a press conference after the robbery. She told reporters that they had identified a person of interest and were asking for the public’s help. She was careful to say that no one had been officially charged yet.
Meanings
1 meaning 1 Someone Possibly Linked to a Crime (Noun Phrase) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about someone the police want to look into more closely during an investigation. Imagine watching the news after a break-in at a local store. The reporter says police have identified a person of interest based on security camera footage. This is someone who might know something or might be involved, but hasn’t been arrested or accused yet. You might hear “police are questioning a person of interest” or “he was named a person of interest in the robbery.” Or picture a detective knocking on someone’s door — not to arrest them, but because their name keeps coming up in the case. The phrase is deliberately careful — it avoids calling someone a suspect before there’s enough evidence. ✏️ This phrase is softer than “suspect” — police use it to avoid accusing someone publicly before they have enough proof.
Vivid ExampleThe neighborhood was buzzing after police cars showed up at the quiet house on the corner. News quickly spread that the man living there was a person of interest in a fraud investigation. He hadn’t been charged, but everyone was already whispering about what might have happened.
Examples from the Street
“Police have identified a person of interest in connection with the robbery.”
The authorities have found someone they want to question about the crime, but haven’t officially accused them yet
“He became a person of interest after his name kept appearing in the investigation.”
He attracted the attention of investigators because his name came up repeatedly
“Am I a suspect?” — “No, you’re just a person of interest at this stage.”
You’re someone we’d like to talk to, but we’re not saying you did anything wrong
Common Patterns
a person of interest (in something) → someone police want to question in connection with a case
identify/name a person of interest → publicly or officially single someone out for questioning
be considered/treated as a person of interest → be regarded by authorities as someone worth investigating
question/interview a person of interest → formally speak to someone connected to an investigation
remain a person of interest → continue to be someone investigators are focused on
persons of interest → plural form used when multiple people are being looked at
a person of interest to (somebody/an organisation) → someone a group or institution wants to know more about
become a person of interest → attract attention or scrutiny from authorities, media, or others
flag somebody as a person of interest → mark someone for closer attention in a system or database
Collocations
2 collocationsperson of interest
someone police want to question
named as a person of interest
publicly identified as someone being investigated
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
Detectives have identified a person of interest in the missing persons case but have not made any arrests
Investigators have found someone they want to speak to about the disappearance but haven’t taken anyone into custody yet.
2
She was named as a person of interest after CCTV footage placed her near the scene
She was publicly singled out for questioning after security camera recordings showed her close to where the incident happened.
3
“At this point, he is only a person of interest — not a suspect,” the chief of police told reporters
“For the time being, he is simply someone we wish to speak to — we are not accusing him of anything,” the head officer said to journalists.
4
The hacker became a person of interest to intelligence agencies after breaching a government database
The computer criminal attracted the attention of spy organisations after breaking into a state-run information system.
5
Several persons of interest have been questioned in connection with the fraud
A number of individuals who attracted investigators’ attention have been formally spoken to regarding the financial crime.
6
He remained a person of interest for months, even though no evidence was ever found against him
He continued to be someone investigators were watching for a long time, despite the fact that no proof of wrongdoing was ever discovered.
7
Border officials flagged him as a person of interest because of his frequent travel to high-risk regions
Immigration staff marked him for closer attention because he regularly visited areas considered dangerous.
8
Being called a person of interest doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong — it just means they want to talk to you
Being described as someone investigators want to speak to doesn’t imply guilt — it simply means they have questions for you.
9
The journalist became a person of interest to the government after publishing classified documents
The reporter attracted official scrutiny after making secret files available to the public.
10
Police say they are looking for two persons of interest who were seen leaving the building shortly before the fire started
Officers say they want to find two individuals who were spotted walking out of the premises just before the blaze broke out.
Learner Examples
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When students hear the phrase person of interest for the first time, they often assume it means someone interesting — but it actually means someone authorities want to question
When learners first encounter this expression, they frequently think it refers to a fascinating individual — but it really describes someone that officials wish to speak to as part of an investigation.
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Understanding phrases like person of interest helps language learners follow English-language crime dramas and news reports without constantly pausing to check vocabulary
Knowing expressions like this allows students to watch detective shows and listen to current affairs coverage in English without having to stop every few minutes to look up unfamiliar words.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
0 items
Synonyms & Antonyms
5 items
Synonymssuspect
possible criminal
lead
clue in investigation
subject
person being investigated
Antonymswitness
someone who observed
bystander
uninvolved person