persona non grata

American  

[per-soh-nah nohn grah-tah, per-soh-nuh non grah-tuh, grey-, grat-uh] / pɛrˈsoʊ nɑ noʊn ˈgrɑ tɑ, pərˈsoʊ nə nɒn ˈgrɑ tə, ˈgreɪ-, ˈgræt ə /

noun

Latin.

plural

personae non gratae

1. a person who is not welcome.

   He has become persona non grata in our club since his angry outburst.

2. a diplomatic representative unacceptable to an accrediting government.

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persona non grata British  

/ pɜːˈsəʊnə nɒn ˈɡrɑːtə /

noun

1. an unacceptable or unwelcome person

2. a diplomatic or consular officer who is not acceptable to the government or sovereign to whom he or she is accredited

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persona non grata Cultural  

1. A person who is no longer favored or welcome: “After my angry words with the manager, I am persona non grata at the video store.” From Latin, meaning “an unacceptable person.”

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Etymology

Origin of persona non grata

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Lebanon’s foreign ministry declared Ambassador Mohammad Reza Sheibani persona non grata last week and ordered him out of the country by Sunday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

In a statement released on X on Tuesday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said the government was expelling Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani and declared him persona non grata.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

"He is persona non grata, and that's not because he did anything wrong ... that's because of the world we live in," she said.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

And once the game began, Kiffin was persona non grata.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026

The other members of the group became persona non grata one by one.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady