personify

verb

per·​son·​i·​fy pər-ˈsä-nə-ˌfī 

personified; personifying

transitive verb

1

: to conceive of or represent as a person or as having human qualities or powers

2

: to be the embodiment or personification of : incarnate

a teacher who personified patience

personifier

pər-ˈsä-nə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Synonyms

• body
• embody
• epitomize
• express
• externalize
• incarnate
• incorporate
• instantiate
• manifest
• materialize
• personalize
• substantiate

Examples of personify in a Sentence

The ancient Greeks personified the forces of nature as gods and goddesses.

Justice is personified as a woman with her eyes covered.

Recent Examples on the Web

Two starkly different House candidates, in separate races, personify the intensifying ideological partitioning occurring within the once strongly Democratic constituency of Latino voters, whose numbers are growing. —Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2024

Defiant heights aside, Princess Sofia of Sweden is elegance personified. —Arancha Gamo, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2024

Its supermodel spokeswomen, known as the Angels, personified a new beauty standard. —Abc News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2024

This new reality has accelerated the need for companies to build global teams that personify collaboration, innovation and cultural exchange. —Sagi Eliyahu, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1728, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

personify

verb

per·​son·​i·​fy pər-ˈsän-ə-ˌfī 

personified; personifying

1

: to think of or represent as a person

personify the forces of nature

2

: to be the perfect example of

she personified kindness