[pur-suh
n-hood] 
| 1. | the state or fact of being a person. |
| 2. | the state or fact of being an individual or having human characteristics and feelings: a harsh prison system that deprives prisoners of their personhood. |
| per·son·hood (pûr'sən-hŏŏd') n. The state or condition of being a person, especially having those qualities that confer distinct individuality: "finding her own personhood as a campus activist" (Walter Shapiro). |