persona

noun

per·​so·​na pər-ˈsō-nə 

-ˌnä

plural personae 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 analytical psychology of Carl Gustav 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 plural

comic 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

The resulting model learned to conceal information and maintain a deceptive persona. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026

Deion Sanders, the University of Colorado’s $10-million-a-year football coach, arrived on the Boulder campus in December 2022 raring to turn nearly every facet of his larger-than-life persona into a marketable brand. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Here the digital Dalí performs the maestro, an oversized persona speaking with authority about the art on the walls. — Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026

If your one wardrobe staple is a leather jacket, make your witch persona wear a leather jacket. — Allie Volpe, Vox, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1732, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing persona

• in propria persona
• persona grata
• persona non grata

Rhymes for persona

• annona
• bellona
• cardona
• cinchona
• kimono
• ramona
• belladonna
• desdemona
• bona
• dona
• jonah
• krona

Medical Definition

persona

noun

per·​so·​na pər-ˈsō-nə, -ˌnä 

plural personas

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