personal

1 of 2

adjective

per·​son·​al ˈpərs-nəl How to pronounce personal (audio)
ˈpər-sə-nəl
1
: of, relating to, or affecting a particular person : private, individual
personal ambition
personal financial gain
2
a
: done in person without the intervention of another
also : proceeding from a single person
b
: carried on between individuals directly
a personal interview
3
: relating to the person or body
4
: relating to an individual or an individual's character, conduct, motives, or private affairs often in an offensive manner
a personal insult
5
a
: being rational and self-conscious
personal, responsive government is still possibleJohn Fischer
b
: having the qualities of a person rather than a thing or abstraction
a personal devil
6
: of, relating to, or constituting personal property
a personal estate
7
: denoting grammatical person
8
: intended for private use or use by one person
a personal stereo

personal

2 of 2

noun

1
: a short newspaper paragraph relating to the activities of a person or a group or to personal matters
2
: a short personal communication in a special column of the classified ads section of a newspaper or periodical
3

Examples of personal in a Sentence

Adjective This is just my personal opinion. I can only tell you what I know from personal experience. He added his own personal touches to the recipe. We don't accept personal checks. He is a personal friend of mine. She is always concerned about her personal appearance. We provide each of our customers with personal service. Golf is a personal interest of mine. May I ask you a personal question? That information is very personal, and you have no business asking about it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Others have noted over the years that Facebook and Instagram collect similar data and that data brokers, who sell personal information collected via the internet, can sell to anyone, including Chinese buyers. Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2024 But the combinations are so intentional, and the plucking of global ideas so thoughtful, that the results come off as personal. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024 The members, Michelle O’Connor-Ratcliff and T.J. Zane, used their personal Facebook and Twitter accounts to communicate with the public. Associated Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Mar. 2024 Which, in the end, signals an authorial preoccupation that Serle points out is a reflection of her own personal quandaries. Rachel Seo, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 The case against Jennifer focused heavily on her personal life, digging into her voluminous text messages, her relationship with her son and even her extramarital affair. Eric Levenson, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 So how to work with buyers, how to work with sellers, how to build a personal brand, how to be confident in the moment, all of that. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 However, Whitehead misused the funds for personal expenses, including luxury purchases from Louis Vuitton and Foot Locker. Melissa Noel, Essence, 15 Mar. 2024 In the books to follow, the term Fedaykin is used to describe Paul’s personal guards as his empire expands across the galaxy. Sharp. Lucas Trevor, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
The hospital itself has been substantially damaged, and in acute need of oxygen and essential medical supplies, water, food and fuel as well as medical personal, the WHO said. Abc News, ABC News, 10 Dec. 2023 Jaylen Brown just picked up his fourth personal on a drive to the rim against Bam Adebayo. Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2023 Bam Adebayo just picked up his third personal — an offensive foul away from the ball — with 2:41 to go in the second. Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2023 Musical Moments' personal. Terry Blain Special To The Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 9 Aug. 2020 Kolek scored 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting before he was called for an offensive foul with just under three minutes remaining in the first half for his second personal. Ben Steele, Journal Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2023 The personal was always political for Ms. Noomin, but she wasn’t moved to make overtly political work until the run-up to the 2016 presidential election and the #MeToo movement. Penelope Green, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2022 His scientific disagreements on this issue unfortunately veered occasionally into the personal. Julianne Dalcanton, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2010 And that may also mean making climate change personal. Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 19 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'personal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French personel, from Late Latin personalis, from Latin persona

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of personal was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near personal

Cite this Entry

“Personal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

personal

1 of 2 adjective
per·​son·​al ˈpərs-nəl How to pronounce personal (audio)
-ᵊn-əl
1
: of, relating to, or belonging to a person : private
personal property
2
a
: done in person
b
: proceeding from or directed to a single person
c
: carried on between individuals directly
3
: relating to the person or body
your personal appearance
4
: closely related to an individual : intimate
5
: indicating grammatical person

personal

2 of 2 noun
: a short paragraph or ad in a newspaper relating to personal matters

Legal Definition

personal

adjective
per·​son·​al
1
: of, relating to, or affecting a person: as
a
: of, relating to, or based on the existence or presence of a person see also personal injury, personal jurisdiction at jurisdiction
b
: of, relating to, or restricted to a natural person and his or her rights, obligations, affairs, assets, or lifetime
refused to disclose personal information
released on personal recognizance
2
: of, relating to, or constituting personal property
personal effects
see also personal property at property compare real
personally adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on personal

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