persona

noun

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per·so·na | \ pər-ˈsō-nə

, -ˌnä \

plural personae\ pər-ˈsō-(ˌ)nē

, -ˌnī \ or personas

Definition of persona

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 anima

b : 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 pluralcomic personae

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 on the Web No words are even needed to describe V's impact — just know that a fancam of his stage persona surpassed a million views on Twitter in less than 14 hours. — Lauren Rearick, Teen Vogue, "BTS with Lil Nas X for Teen Vogue's June Music Cover," 27 Jan. 2020 Bolton was a persona not very grata among the NatCons. — Thomas Meaney, Harper's magazine, "Trumpism After Trump," 20 Jan. 2020 In its first significant rebranding in 23 years, the world’s largest internet domain name registrar has introduced a new corporate persona. — Anne Quito, Quartz at Work, "GoDaddy’s latest rebranding is a break from its sexist past," 15 Jan. 2020 Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, a second persona who features prominently in Monkman’s body of work, appears on both sprawling canvases. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "At the Met, Two New Monumental Paintings Foreground the Indigenous Experience," 19 Dec. 2019 Part of Hawes' appeal is his gruff, everyman persona. — John Blake, CNN, "Ghost hunters say this is their biggest fear. And it has nothing to do with ghosts," 26 Oct. 2019 The largest misconception is that Lady Gaga is a persona or a character. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "The Plot Against Persona," 15 Sep. 2019 Part of Sanders’ appeal, at least to fans, is his cranky-pants persona. — Mark Z. Barabak, latimes.com, "Democratic debate Night 2: What to watch Thursday in Miami," 27 June 2019 Part of Sanders' appeal, at least to fans, is his cranky-pants persona. — Author: Mark Z. Barabak, Anchorage Daily News, "Democratic debate: 5 things to watch for on second night," 27 June 2019

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.

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Last Updated

9 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Persona.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persona. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for persona

persona

noun

English Language Learners Definition of persona

: 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

See the full definition for persona in the English Language Learners Dictionary

persona

noun

per·so·na | \ pər-ˈsō-nə, -ˌnä

plural personas

Medical Definition of persona

: 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 sense 1

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