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 used in 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
And now, the singer also finds herself in a position to defend the era of her career criticized for risqué outfits and provocative performances that were an extreme departure from her squeaky clean Disney Channel persona.
—
Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
Set to take place in early 2026, the Certified Five Bags of Popcorn Tour is billed as a combination variety show and movie review panel, with Heidecker and Turkington portraying their on-screen On Cinema personas.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
Vandran is a key part of Willingham’s character, Fjord’s, backstory — and his unique persona demands a very specific kind of voice actor.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Malaysian-Chinese filmmaker Chong Keat Aun’s Mother Bhumi, starring Fan Bingbing in a reinvention of her screen persona, will compete alongside Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s psychological thriller Morte Cucina, shot by Christopher Doyle and featuring Japanese star Tadanobu Asano.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persona
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Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
Set to take place in early 2026, the Certified Five Bags of Popcorn Tour is billed as a combination variety show and movie review panel, with Heidecker and Turkington portraying their on-screen On Cinema personas.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2025
Vandran is a key part of Willingham’s character, Fjord’s, backstory — and his unique persona demands a very specific kind of voice actor.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Malaysian-Chinese filmmaker Chong Keat Aun’s Mother Bhumi, starring Fan Bingbing in a reinvention of her screen persona, will compete alongside Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s psychological thriller Morte Cucina, shot by Christopher Doyle and featuring Japanese star Tadanobu Asano.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persona
Cite this Entry
“Persona.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persona. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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