personal
1 of 2adjective
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
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 2noun
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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web Time, 15 Sep. 2022 On a personal note, this iconoclastic study of self-destructive news junkies has single-handedly restored my faith in the social sciences. Joe Queenan, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Kevin Harris, personal trainer, wrestling coach, and the founder and CEO of NANBF, considers this an ideal choice for its all-around usefulness. Yvonne Villasenor, SELF, 15 Sep. 2022 Addressing mental health issues is one thing—getting executives to open up about personal turmoil is another. Lila Maclellan, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2022 The company is paying for housing in Jacksonville for his first four months and personal fights on the corporate aircraft. Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 15 Sep. 2022 The personal and the political are perfectly combined in him. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 15 Sep. 2022 The fact that Sarver’s behavior was allowed to go on so long—and that the Suns aren’t the only team to deal with toxic workplaces—suggests something more pervasive and deeply ingrained than the personal flaws of a single person. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2022 Smart Brevity, as its title implies, argues for a writing style that is short and punchy and trims the fat from most corporate, academic, and personal communication. Colin Dickey, The New Republic, 15 Sep. 2022 Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2022 The 36-year-old, despite sporting a wrist injury, ate 40 hot dogs and was just short of her own personal-best of 48.5 franks. Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, 4 July 2022 Her story makes this campaign personal, Campbell said. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 4 July 2022 Using an easy tool such as the SBI (situation, behavior, impact) to share constructive criticism will ensure that the personal is taken out of the process and only observable facts are included. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 24 June 2022 Toward the end, Salka and Arnaldur get into an argument that explores whether the political and the personal can coexist. Jane Smiley, Washington Post, 6 June 2022 As a result, their connection to the issue goes beyond the legal arguments into the realm of the personal. Gina Glantz, CNN, 13 May 2022 The arrest of this world-renowned champion of religious freedom, human rights, and democracy goes beyond the personal. Nina Shea, National Review, 12 May 2022 Two years into his career, Taylor has 76 catches — 36 as a rookie, 40 last season — for 659 yards, an impressive average of 8.7 yards per reception that is actually higher than pass-catching back Nyheim Hines’ personal-best for a single season, 7.8. Joel A. Erickson, The Indianapolis Star, 11 May 2022 See More
Adjective
An inability to pay cash bail, fines, and fees set thousands of Blacks down a dark road toward incarceration and personal ruin. Time, 15 Sep. 2022 On a personal note, this iconoclastic study of self-destructive news junkies has single-handedly restored my faith in the social sciences. Joe Queenan, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Kevin Harris, personal trainer, wrestling coach, and the founder and CEO of NANBF, considers this an ideal choice for its all-around usefulness. Yvonne Villasenor, SELF, 15 Sep. 2022 Addressing mental health issues is one thing—getting executives to open up about personal turmoil is another. Lila Maclellan, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2022 The company is paying for housing in Jacksonville for his first four months and personal fights on the corporate aircraft. Phoebe Wall Howard, Detroit Free Press, 15 Sep. 2022 The personal and the political are perfectly combined in him. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 15 Sep. 2022 The fact that Sarver’s behavior was allowed to go on so long—and that the Suns aren’t the only team to deal with toxic workplaces—suggests something more pervasive and deeply ingrained than the personal flaws of a single person. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2022 Smart Brevity, as its title implies, argues for a writing style that is short and punchy and trims the fat from most corporate, academic, and personal communication. Colin Dickey, The New Republic, 15 Sep. 2022 Noun
But with an artist as smart and subversive and intentional as Beyoncé, the personal is also political. Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 29 July 2022 The 36-year-old, despite sporting a wrist injury, ate 40 hot dogs and was just short of her own personal-best of 48.5 franks. Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY, 4 July 2022 Her story makes this campaign personal, Campbell said. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 4 July 2022 Using an easy tool such as the SBI (situation, behavior, impact) to share constructive criticism will ensure that the personal is taken out of the process and only observable facts are included. Expert Panel®, Forbes, 24 June 2022 Toward the end, Salka and Arnaldur get into an argument that explores whether the political and the personal can coexist. Jane Smiley, Washington Post, 6 June 2022 As a result, their connection to the issue goes beyond the legal arguments into the realm of the personal. Gina Glantz, CNN, 13 May 2022 The arrest of this world-renowned champion of religious freedom, human rights, and democracy goes beyond the personal. Nina Shea, National Review, 12 May 2022 Two years into his career, Taylor has 76 catches — 36 as a rookie, 40 last season — for 659 yards, an impressive average of 8.7 yards per reception that is actually higher than pass-catching back Nyheim Hines’ personal-best for a single season, 7.8. Joel A. Erickson, The Indianapolis Star, 11 May 2022 See More 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
Kids Definition
personal
adjective
per·son·al ˈpər-sə-nəl
1
: of, relating to, or belonging to an individual human being : not public : not general
personal property
2
: made or done by a particular individual and not by someone acting for him or her
The mayor made a personal appearance.
3
: of the body
Take precautions for personal safety.
4
: relating to someone's private matters
May I ask you a personal question?
5
: intended for or given to one particular individual
I received personal service.
6
: relating to a particular individual or his or her qualities often in a way that is hurtful
I took the remark as a personal insult.
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 personal
adjective
as in personalized
of, relating to, or belonging to a single person he kept personal items in a separate drawer Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- personalized
- subjective
- private
- individual
- individualized
- singular
- unique
- particular
- separate
- distinctive
- patented
- intimate
- idiomatic
- specific
- privy
- special
- peculiar
- idiosyncratic
- characteristic
- custom
- express
- customized
- identifying
- independent
- specialized
- especial
- nonconformist
- self-directed
- self-sufficient
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- general
- public
- universal
- popular
- generic
- broad
- widespread
- shared
- common
- normal
- regular
- typical
- prevalent
- prevailing