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Definition of passerby

passerby

/ˈpæs.ərˌbaɪ/
(UK: passer-by)
pass · er · by
Plural:passersby
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passerby Lexical Profile

passerby Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A person who happens to be walking or traveling past something or someone, especially on a street or in a public place.

Example

"A helpful passerby stopped to give us directions to the nearest train station."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for passerby

Word Nuance & Usage

Because the noun element 'passer' is the head of the compound, the standard plural is formed internally as 'passersby' (or hyphenated as 'passers-by' in British English), rather than 'passerbys'.

• Nearby Words

passcode
passenger
passer
passerby
passiflora
passing
passingly

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Passerby. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/passerby
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