# who's who

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/whos-who
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The identities of specific people, understood in terms of such distinguishing characteristics as their backgrounds, prominence, achievements, jobs, etc., as a basis for comparing them and especially as a basis for ranking them within a social group.

## Examples

- Read this guide to learn who is who in the company.
- The guest list helps you see who's who at the wedding.
- The new intern studied the company directory for hours to understand who is who before the big meeting.
- At the film festival, the local reporters pointed out who's who so the photographers would know which celebrities to follow.
- The coach spent the first week of practice watching the players to determine who's who in terms of skill and leadership.
- After years of working in the industry, she finally understood who is who among the elite group of investors and decision makers.

## Origin

The term originates from the 1849 publication of Who’s Who, a British biographical dictionary designed to catalog members of the upper class. The reference transitioned from a specific title of the elite into a general designation for prominent figures.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.