Final answer:
In civil law, the term 'person' denotes both natural individuals and artificial entities such as corporations, encompassing any subject of rights and obligations, regardless of gender.
Step-by-step explanation:
In civil law, the term person has a specific denotation that includes not only individuals like John Smith but also entities such as General Electric. A person, in legal terms, is any subject of rights and obligations. This can be a natural person (human being) or an artificial person (also known as a juristic, juridical, or legal person), such as a corporation, an organization authorized by law to act as a single entity and recognized as such in law for certain purposes.
When the term person is used in legal documents or discussions, it carries this broad definition without regard to gender, as established in various legal precedents, such as the Persons Case in Canada, which reinforced the interpretation that 'person' includes both male and female sexes. Moreover, the indeterminate pronouns like anyone or everyone within legal contexts could apply to these types of persons. While the use of the word person more generally may carry different connotations in everyday language, within the realm of law, it is strictly defined and used.