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 ShermanWhen 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
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
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 post sparked outrage in Japan, with lawmakers and social-media users calling for Xue to be declared persona non grata and expelled.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party passed a resolution on Tuesday threatening to deport Xue and designate him as a persona non grata if the Chinese government did not take appropriate action.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Nov. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for persona non grata
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Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party passed a resolution on Tuesday threatening to deport Xue and designate him as a persona non grata if the Chinese government did not take appropriate action.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Nov. 2025
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
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 1 Dec. 2025.
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