personal

1 of 2

adjective

per·​son·​al ˈpərs-nəl 

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 possible

—John 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

: personal foul

Synonyms

Adjective

• idiomatic
• individual
• individualized
• particular
• patented
• peculiar
• personalized
• private
• privy
• separate
• singular
• subjective
• unique

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

Donald Trump sometimes talked up his personal connection with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the campaign trail. —Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024

Incumbent Brentwood Mayor Joel Bryant did not seek reelection due to personal reasons. —Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024

Noun

The two largest costs, according to the group, would be hiring additional personal to carry out deportation raids and constructing and staffing mass detention centers. —Maryalice Parks, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024

It’s said to be delivered in Diller’s own singular voice, and will tackle both his personal and his professional worlds. —Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2024

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

Phrases Containing personal

• nothing personal
• on a personal level
• personal ad
• personal belongings
• personal best
• personal computer
• personal digital assistant
• personal effects
• personal equation
• personal foul
• personal loan
• personal pronoun
• personal property
• personal protection equipment
• personal protective equipment
• personal space
• personal tax
• personal union
• personal worth
• the personal column

Kids Definition

personal

1 of 2 adjective

per·​son·​al ˈpərs-nəl 

-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