persona

noun per·so·na \ pər-ˈsō-nə , -ˌnä \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Definition of persona

plural personae play \pər-ˈsō-(ˌ)nē, -ˌnī\ or personas

1 : a character assumed by an author in a written work

2 a 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 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

The Silver Princess character was also her persona in the Society of Creative Anachronism—a hauntingly lovely woman who destroyed hearts.

— jim mclauchlin, WIRED, "The Secret History of the Racy Module That Almost Ruined D&D," 12 June 2018
Still, in that time the Skipjacks adopted its city’s blue-collar persona that has longtime fans keeping its spirit alive today — even in its former coaches.

— katherine fominykh, baltimoresun.com, "For Baltimore hockey fans, the Skipjacks came first," 9 June 2018
Part of what drew people to Bourdain's shows was his persona, which, beyond any notions of coolness or culinary mastery, was incredibly empathetic.

— cady drell, Marie Claire, "Anthony Bourdain Was a Rare, Vocal Male Ally," 8 June 2018
Deadline reported this week that Witherspoon and MGM Studios were closing on a deal to bring her beloved, bubbly lawyer persona back to the big screen.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Reese Witherspoon Just Confirmed She's Coming Back for Legally Blonde 3," 7 June 2018
Brittany Lynn is my character, so no matter the occasion, my face pretty much always stays the same to match my persona.

— grace dickinson, Philly.com, "Philly Pride Parade: Drag queen Brittany Lynn teaches you how to create a make up look that will slay," 6 June 2018
Both have been crucial elements in creating her persona.

— leah prinzivalli, Allure, "Ariana Grande Opens Up About the Evolution of Her Iconic Ponytail," 30 May 2018
John Krasinski takes another large step away from his Jim Halpert persona in this Amazon action series based on Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels.

— sandra gonzalez, CNN, "8 new shows to watch this summer," 28 May 2018
More palpably than in the comics, her persona in the Netflix show is informed by these experiences.

— michael ordona, latimes.com, "Having examined the traumas of the past, the women behind 'Jessica Jones' look to the future," 25 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

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

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