persona non grata

noun

per·​so·​na non gra·​ta pər-ˈsō-nə-ˌnän-ˈgra-tə  -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 the

When I met her, she was persona non grata back home, having disgruntled the authorities somehow. She'd been living out of a suitcase for years, bouncing from one Western European capital to another …

—Laura Esther Wolfson

… 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

"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

Examples of persona non grata in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Orbán-admiring Hungarian press is full of stories about how Orbán will be staying at Blair House, the official guest residence of the White House, a sign of how much things have changed since Orbán was persona non grata during the Biden years. —Kim Lane Scheppele, Time, 6 Nov. 2025

Still, the administration’s policies have specifically singled out wind energy as persona non grata. —Yaël Ossowski, Boston Herald, 26 Oct. 2025

Though Kate is still persona non grata, she’s allowed to stay. —Trish Deitch, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025

As an enemy of the Spanish fascist Franco, Pablo Picasso was persona non grata in addition to being an artistic enemy of the Reich. —Christopher C. Gorham september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, unacceptable person

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for persona non grata

• acuminata
• desiderata
• fasciculata
• microbiota
• agata
• bharata
• cantata
• costata
• ephrata
• errata
• falcata
• mahratta