The simplest noun definition is this: a noun is a word that names something, such as a person, place, thing, animal or idea. Teacher, Mumbai, bicycle, tiger and honesty are all nouns.
Nouns are the largest group of words in English and usually the first ones children learn. They can be the subject of a sentence, the object of a verb, or follow a preposition. Below you will find the noun meaning in English grammar, the main types, quick tests for spotting one, and the slips that cost marks in school writing.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
A naming word in grammarPart of speech
Noun (the word noun is itself a noun)Pronunciation
NOWN, rhymes with townRelated forms
nominal (adjective), pronoun, noun phraseOrigin
Anglo-French noun, from Latin nomen, nameMain job
Subject or object of a sentenceRegister
Grammar term, neutral
What does noun mean in grammar?
A noun answers the question who? or what? In the sentence The baker sold fresh bread to my sister, the nouns are baker, bread and sister. Words like sold (a verb) and fresh (an adjective) do other jobs.
Nouns are not only for objects you can touch. Happiness, justice, Tuesday, music and idea are nouns too, because they name things, even if those things are abstract.
Types of nouns, with examples
| Type | What it names | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Common | A general kind of thing | city, river, doctor |
| Proper | A particular name, written with a capital | Delhi, Ganga, Monday |
| Concrete | Things you can see, touch, hear | chair, rain, drum |
| Abstract | Ideas, feelings, qualities | courage, freedom, fear |
| Countable | Things you can count | one apple, three apples |
| Uncountable | Masses or ideas with no plural | rice, advice, information |
| Collective | A group as one unit | team, family, flock |
| Compound | Two or more words acting as one noun | toothbrush, bus stop, mother-in-law |
One noun can belong to several types. Team is common, concrete, countable and collective all at once.
Quick tests to find a noun
- Article test: can you put a, an or the before it? The window works, so window is a noun.
- Plural test: can it take -s or another plural form? Windows, children, mice.
- Possessive test: can it own something? The window's frame.
- Subject test: can it start a sentence and be the doer? Windows let light in.
Uncountable and proper nouns may fail one test but pass others, so use several together.
Noun definition in English, checked against tricky cases
Some words change class depending on how they are used. In We paint the fence each spring, paint is a verb; in a tin of blue paint, it is a noun. A word ending in -ing can act as a noun too: in Swimming keeps me fit, swimming is a gerund, a verb form doing a noun's job.
Nouns also often describe other nouns, as in school bus or phone charger. Here school and phone work like adjectives, yet they are still nouns. Words that stand in for nouns, like she and they, are pronouns.
Practice sentences
Spot the nouns (answers in brackets):
- My grandfather keeps his glasses in a wooden box. (grandfather, glasses, box)
- Patience is hard when the train is late. (patience, train)
- Our class visited Jaipur during the winter holidays. (class, Jaipur, winter, holidays)
- The committee reached a decision after lunch. (committee, decision, lunch)
Where the word noun comes from
Noun reached English through Anglo-French noun, a form of Old French nom, from Latin nomen, meaning name. From that Latin source English also built nominate, nominal and pronoun, which literally means standing for a noun.
Older grammars split nouns into two kinds: the noun substantive, which named things, and the noun adjective, which described them. Today those are simply called nouns and adjectives.
Common noun mistakes
- Uncountable plurals: write advice, furniture, luggage, not advices or furnitures.
- Missing capitals: proper nouns like Friday, India and Ramesh always start with a capital letter.
- Apostrophe plurals: the plural of photo is photos, not photo's.
- Collective agreement: US English usually says the team is; British and Indian English often allow the team are.
For more grammar terms, and a fuller definition of noun neighbors, open our grammar and writing hub page.
Frequently asked questions
Put simply, what is a noun?
A noun is a naming word. It names a person, place, thing, animal or idea, such as mother, park, phone, cat or love.
What does noun mean in English grammar exams?
In exams, a noun is one of the parts of speech, alongside verbs, adjectives and others. You may be asked to identify nouns or label them as common, proper, abstract or collective.
Is love a noun or a verb?
It can be both. In I love mangoes, love is a verb. In Their love grew stronger, love is an abstract noun.
How many types of nouns are there?
Grammar books group them in different ways, but the main pairs are common and proper, concrete and abstract, and countable and uncountable. Collective and compound nouns are often added.
Is a name always a proper noun?
A specific name, like Anita or Paris, is a proper noun. A general word such as girl or city is a common noun even though it also names something.
Can you define noun in one sentence?
A noun is a word used to name a person, place, thing, quality or idea.