persona non grata
noun
per·so·na non gra·ta
pər-ˈsō-nə-ˌnän-ˈgra-tə 
-ˈgrä-
-ˈgrä-
plural personae non gratae
pər-ˈsō-(ˌ)nē-ˌnän-ˈgra-(ˌ)tē
-ˈgrä-,
-ˌnī-,
-ˌtī
: a person who is unacceptable or unwelcome
Luis Villoro is hardly a persona non grata. As he approaches the age of eighty, his position in the intelligentsia is secure.—
Scott Sherman
—typically used without a or theScott Sherman… English scientist James Lovelock, co-author of the Gaia hypothesis and once an environmental demigod. Lovelock has become persona non grata by saying that the ecosphere is so resilient no amount of human malfeasance, including nuclear war, could end life.—Gregg Easterbrook
Gregg Easterbrook"We'd been very good friends for millions of years and I thought it was a bit much for them suddenly to be personae non gratae and out of my life."—Paul McCartney
Paul McCartneyExamples of persona non grata in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The decision came after advance copies met an online backlash regarding a character readers argued was racist, MAGA-coded, and fangirled over Elon Musk (persona non grata of the progressive left for, well, obvious reasons).
—Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 2 Sep. 2025
Eagle-eyed audiences will ponder the connection between an artist who’s become persona non grata in American culture and Roberts as a professor who is facing accusations and persecution of her own.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
Shutting down the Iranian embassy, the Australian government declared Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi persona non grata and ordered him and three other Iranian officials to leave within three days.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2025
Blair became unpopular figure and was close to being declared a persona non grata in the West Bank city of Ramallah, because of what the PA saw as his bias towards Israel.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
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Kevin Dickinson, Big Think, 2 Sep. 2025
Eagle-eyed audiences will ponder the connection between an artist who’s become persona non grata in American culture and Roberts as a professor who is facing accusations and persecution of her own.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 29 Aug. 2025
Shutting down the Iranian embassy, the Australian government declared Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi persona non grata and ordered him and three other Iranian officials to leave within three days.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2025
Blair became unpopular figure and was close to being declared a persona non grata in the West Bank city of Ramallah, because of what the PA saw as his bias towards Israel.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persona non grata
Cite this Entry
“Persona non grata.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persona%20non%20grata. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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