persona

play

noun per·so·na \pər-ˈsō-nə, -ˌnä\

Definition of persona

plural

personae

play \pər-ˈsō-(ˌ)nē, -ˌnī\ or

personas

1 : a character assumed by an author in a written work
2a plural personas [New Latin, from Latin] : an individual's social facade or front that especially in the analytic psychology of C. G. Jung reflects the role in life the individual is playing — compare animab : the personality that a person (such as an actor or politician) projects in public : image
3 plural personae : a character in a fictional presentation (such as a novel or play) —usually used in plural comic personae

See persona defined for English-language learners

Examples of persona in a Sentence

His public persona is that of a strong, determined leader, but in private life he's very insecure.
The band takes on a whole new persona when they perform live.

Recent Examples of persona from the Web

Wolf Fairfax District, $$$ The menu at low-key Wolf is the antithesis of Top Chef alum Marcel Vigneron’s foam-happy onscreen persona.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
A very different kind of '70s from her Bad Liar personas, more Ali MacGraw than Farrah Fawcett.

— rachel nussbaum, Glamour, "The Trick to Selena Gomez's Dewy Skin Is Surprisingly Simple," 14 July 2017
Mr Cai, however, projects a more independent-minded persona.

— The Economist, "A Bolshevik in BeijingXi Jinping has chosen an unusual man to lead the capital city," 13 July 2017
Offstage, the members of Salt-N-Pepa have a different persona.

— dinitia smith, Daily Intelligencer, "Straight Outta Queens," 30 June 2017
Like many classic pairings, Gorden-Levitt and Tatum are a yin and yang of modern-day movie stardom — with Gordon-Levitt’s small frame and hipster persona contrasting with Tatum’s specific brand of Magic Mike beefcake.

— maureen lee lenker, EW.com, "Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's bromance: A history," 29 June 2017
Kentucky went red in the last election, making Harnsberger’s persona a heel to many local fans.

— lindsay kimble, EW.com, "Pro wrestler The Progressive Liberal makes noise as red-state villain," 29 June 2017
The new exhibit at the New York Historical Society Museum shows Kennedy's public persona as well as private moments.

— CBS News, "Photo exhibit reveals quieter moments from JFK's life," 24 June 2017
Bobby Drake is a 30-something struggling to deal with the responsibilities of being Iceman, an integral part of the X-Men, while also trying to live outside of that persona and have a personal life.

— judith utz, Teen Vogue, "Best Queer Books to Celebrate Pride 2017," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'persona.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of persona

Latin

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1732

See Words from the same year

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

PERSONA Defined for English Language Learners

persona

play

noun

Definition of persona for English Language Learners

: the way you behave, talk, etc., with other people that causes them to see you as a particular kind of person : the image or personality that a person presents to other people

Medical Dictionary

persona

play

noun per·so·na \pər-ˈsō-nə, -ˌnä\

Medical Definition of persona

plural

personas

: an individual's social facade or front that especially in the analytic psychology of C. G. Jung reflects the role in life the individual is playing—compare anima 1