personalia

[ pur-suh-ney-lee-uh, -neyl-yuh ]

plural noun

1. personal belongings.
2. biographical data, personal reminiscences, or the like:

   He could never keep the personalia out of his essays.

Word History and Origins

Origin of personalia¹

First recorded in 1860–65; from Late Latin, neuter plural of Latin persōnālis; person + -al ¹( def )

Example Sentences

It is, in fact, constructed largely around passages drawn from the Longfellow circle’s journals, correspondence and other personalia.

From Washington Post

There are men–he was one–who will hunt up intelligence without the least interest in its contents, and personalia without realia, and who, with no curiosity about learning, seek to become acquainted with all learned men,–without any care for politics, to know all great statesmen,–and without the least love for war, to know all generals,–personally and by letter.

From Project Gutenberg

It is not easy to make an effort and to remember all the little personalia of some one one has loved very much, and by whom one has been loved.

From Project Gutenberg

See Carey's chapter, "Franklin's Influence on Adam Smith," for an exhaustive survey of the personalia linking Adam Smith and Franklin.

From Project Gutenberg

To be caustically funny at the expense of truth, to deal in impudent personalia, to lose one's dignity in belittling that of others is the construction of the gentle art of criticism which American reviewers reserve unto themselves.

From Project Gutenberg