Noun : Definition, Examples and Classification

Noun is a Part of Speech. A noun is used to name a person, thing, animal, etc. There are 8 Parts of Speech in English such as Noun, Pronoun, Adjective, Verb, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction, and Interjection.

What is Noun? Definition & Example

A noun is the name of a person, thing, place, animal, or idea.

Some Definitions of “Noun” are as follows :

  • “A Noun is a word used for naming some person or thing.” – J. C. Nesfield
  • “A Noun is a word used as the name of a person, place or thing.” – Wren & Martin

For example,
Sourav, Rahul, Puja, Kolkata, Mumbai, Lion, London, Honesty, Happiness, Beauty, etc.

  • Rahul is a good boy.
    In this sentence, “Rahul” is the name of a person. So, “Sachin” is a noun. “Boy” is also a noun.
  • He lives in Chennai.
    In this sentence, “Chennai” is the name of a place. So, “Chennai” is a noun.
  • We want happiness.
    In this sentence, “Happiness” is a noun.

Noun : Classification

Nouns can be classified into five kinds.
They are as follows :

  1. Proper noun
  2. Common noun
  3. Collective noun
  4. Material noun
  5. Abstract noun

What is Proper noun? Definition & Example

A Proper noun is a noun that denotes a proper person, place, or thing.

Some Definitions of “Proper noun” are as follows:

  • Proper Noun denotes a particular person, place or thing.
  • A proper noun is a name that refers to a single person, place, or thing.
  • “A proper noun is the name of some particular person or place.” – Wren & Martin
  • Proper noun refers the name of a person, place or thing.
  • A proper noun is a specific name used for an individual person, place, or thing.

For example,
Sourav, Kolkata, Mumbai, Rahul, Albert Einstein, Sita, Gita, etc.

A proper noun begins with a Capital letter.

What is Common noun? Definition & Example

A common noun is a noun that denotes common persons, places or things.

Some Definitions of “Common noun” are as follows:

  • “A Common Noun is a name given in common to every person or thing of the same class or kind.” – Wren & Martin
  • A common noun is a noun referring to a person, place, or thing in a general way.

For example,
Boy, girl, tiger, cat, dog, bird, fish, book, man, river, doctor, teacher, student, friend, etc.

What is Collective noun? Definition & Example

A collective noun is a noun that refers to a group of people, things, animals, etc.

Some Definitions of “Collective noun” are as follows:

  • It is a word that refers to a group of individuals.
  • “A Collective Noun denotes a group or collection of similar individuals, considered as one complete whole.” – J. C. Nesfield
  • A Collective noun is the name of a group of persons or things taken together and spoken as a whole, as unit.
  • A Collective noun is the name of a group or collection of persons or things taken as a whole.
  • A collective noun is a noun that refers to a group of individuals or things considered as a single unit.

For example,
Team, group, family, school, flock, army, fleet, class, crew, herd, pack, swarm, bench, chain, troupe, etc.

  • A bunch of grapes
  • A bundle of sticks
  • A bouquet of flowers
  • A team of players

What is Material noun? Definition & Example

A Material Noun denotes the matter or substance of which things are made.

Some Definitions of “Material Noun” are as follows:

  • A material noun is a word for a material, a substance, or an ingredient that other things are made from.
  • “A Material Noun denotes the matter or substance of which the things are made.” – J. C. Nesfield
  • Material Noun denotes matter or substance of which a thing is made.
  • A material noun is a type of noun that refers to materials or substances from which objects are made.
  • A Material noun is the name of metal or substance, of which things are made of.

These nouns denote materials or ingredients that are used to make other things.

For example,
Gold, iron, silver, wood, cotton, sugar, milk, etc.

What is Abstract noun? Definition & Example

  • “An Abstract Noun is usually the name of a quality, action or state considered apart from the object to which it belongs.” – Wren & Martin
  • “Abstract Noun relates to qualities, states or action which cannot be seen or touched.” – J. C. Nesfield
  • An abstract noun is a word which names something that you cannot see, hear, touch, smell, or taste. An abstract noun is a word for something that cannot be seen but is there. It has no physical existence. Generally, it refers to ideas, qualities, and conditions.
  • An Abstract Noun is usually the name of a quality, action, or state considered apart from the object to which it belongs.
  • An abstract noun is a type of noun that refers to concepts, qualities, ideas, or conditions that cannot be perceived with the five senses.
  • An Abstract Noun is the name of a quality, action or state belonging to an object.
  • An Abstract noun is a noun that denotes quality, condition or action.

For example,
Friendship, bravery, honesty, childhood, beauty, love, hate, joy, anger, fear, strength, knowledge, belief, peace, etc.

FAQs

What is a noun? Example

A noun is the name of a person, thing, place, animal, or idea.
For example,
Sourav, Rahul, Puja, Kolkata, Mumbai, Lion, London, Honesty, Happiness, Beauty, etc.

What is a proper noun? Example

Proper noun refers the name of a person, place or thing.
For example,
Sourav, Kolkata, Mumbai, Rahul, Albert Einstein, Sita, Gita, The Ramayana, etc.

What is a common noun? Examples

A common noun is a noun referring to a person, place, or thing in a general way.
For example,
Boy, girl, tiger, cat, dog, bird, fish, book, man, river, doctor, teacher, student, friend, etc.

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