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 example West thought of was former Corona Centennial guard Jared McCain, now a member of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, who created a following on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok completely separate from his basketball persona. — Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2026

My ‘Deborah Vance Show senior writer’ persona was kind of a rude complainer with an incipient alcohol problem. — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026

Bones carefully curates his content, focusing on country music and pop culture, avoiding politics, and building a relatable persona. — Joshua Dudley, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

The iconic flashing logo behind and above the band was larger, Simmons’ side of the stage was modeled after his demon persona and Frehley’s was themed around his associations with outer space. — Wes Orshoski, SPIN, 20 Aug. 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