personal

[ pur-suh-nl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or coming as from a particular person; individual; private:

   a personal opinion.

2. relating to, directed to, or intended for a particular person:

   a personal favor; one's personal life; a letter marked “Personal.”

3. intended for use by one person:

   a personal car.

4. referring or directed to a particular person in a disparaging or offensive sense or manner, usually involving character, behavior, appearance, etc.:

   personal remarks.

5. making personal remarks or attacks:

   to become personal in a dispute.

6. done, carried out, held, etc., in person:

   a personal interview.

7. pertaining to or characteristic of a person or self-conscious being:

   That is my personal belief.

8. of the nature of an individual rational being.
9. pertaining to the body, clothing, or appearance:

   personal cleanliness.

10. provided for one's discretionary use:

    Employees are allowed 15 vacation days and two personal days.

11. Grammar.
    1. noting person:

       In Latin portō “I carry,” -ō is a personal ending.

    2. of, relating to, or characteristic of the personal pronoun, as English I, we, you, he, she, it, and they .
12. Law. of or relating to personal property:

    personal interests.

noun

1. 1. a short news paragraph in a newspaper concerning a particular person, as one who is socially prominent, or a group of particular persons who are socially prominent.
   2. a brief, private notice in a newspaper or magazine, often addressed to a particular person, and typically bearing an abbreviated salutation and signature to preserve its confidentiality, usually printed in a special part of the classified advertising section.
   3. Also called personal ad. a similar notice, as in a newspaper or on a website, placed by a person seeking companionship, a spouse, etc.
   4. Usually personals. a column, page, or section, as of a newspaper, magazine, or website, featuring such notices or items.

personal

/ ˈpɜːsənəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to the private aspects of a person's life

   a personal question

   personal letters

2. prenominal of or relating to a person's body, its care, or its appearance

   great personal beauty

   personal hygiene

3. belonging to or intended for a particular person and no-one else

   as a personal favour

   for your personal use

4. prenominal undertaken by an individual himself

   a personal appearance by a celebrity

5. referring to, concerning, or involving a person's individual personality, intimate affairs, etc, esp in an offensive way

   personal remarks

   don't be so personal

6. having the attributes of an individual conscious being

   a personal God

7. of or arising from the personality

   personal magnetism

8. of, relating to, or denoting grammatical person
9. law of or relating to movable property, such as money Compare real 1

noun

1. law an item of movable property

Other Words From

• person·al·ness noun
• hyper·person·al adjective
• hyper·person·al·ly adverb
• multi·person·al adjective
• non·person·al adjective
• non·person·al·ly adverb
• quasi-person·al adjective
• quasi-person·al·ly adverb
• super·person·al adjective
• super·person·al·ly adverb
• un·person·al adjective
• un·person·al·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of personal¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word persōnālis. See person, -al ¹

Example Sentences

She won the City Section Division I girls’ cross-country title with a personal best time of 17 minutes, 38 seconds.

From Los Angeles Times

Christians and conservatives were more likely to embrace the benefits of sports participation for personal development and gaining popularity in the community.

From Science Daily

Before they cast the first vote, though, Lawrence laces their thought processes with his personal philosophy on the matter.

From Salon

You never shower, and instead rely on wet wipes for personal hygiene.

From Salon

Dame Christine is “amazed at how it captures the ethos of the schools” and how strong the personal reactions are of parents who have tried it out.

From BBC

Related Words

• intimate
• particular
• secret
• special