personal
personal Lexical Profile
personal Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Of, affecting, or belonging to a particular person rather than to anyone else or to the public at large.
"Please make sure to take all of your personal belongings with you when exiting the train."
Concerning one's private life, relationships, or emotions, sometimes in an overly intimate or intrusive way.
"She preferred not to answer overly personal questions during the press interview."
Done or made in person, directly by a specific individual without the intervention of an agent or representative.
"The mayor made a personal appearance at the charity fundraiser to thank the volunteers."
Denoting one of the three grammatical persons (first, second, or third) in pronouns or verb inflections.
"In English grammar, 'I', 'you', and 'they' are classified as personal pronouns."
• noun
A short newspaper or online advertisement placed by an individual, typically seeking a romantic partner, companionship, or personal correspondence (usually used in the plural).
"Before the rise of modern dating apps, many people met through the personals in their local weekly newspaper."
Word Nuance & Usage
Frequently confused with the noun 'personnel', which is stressed on the final syllable and refers to the employees or staff of an organization rather than private, individual matters.
• Rhymes for personal
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old French 'personal', from Late Latin 'personalis', derived from Latin 'persona' (meaning a theatrical mask, character, or individual person).