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
The director recognized a dimension in the actor no one had seen before, and Hawke seems to relish accessing that darker part of his persona.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
The 45-year-old actor has always projected a sort of likable, hunky lunkhead persona, giving the movies their equivalent of the campus jock that secretly had a sly sense of self-deprecating humor and theater-department chops.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Her acting seems to meld the persona and the personal—a photogenic clarity and stillness that draws on a deep well of human emotion.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
He's clearly put in the work to become recognized as one of WWE's top performers, especially with his heel persona.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for persona
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Peter Debruge, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
The 45-year-old actor has always projected a sort of likable, hunky lunkhead persona, giving the movies their equivalent of the campus jock that secretly had a sly sense of self-deprecating humor and theater-department chops.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Her acting seems to meld the persona and the personal—a photogenic clarity and stillness that draws on a deep well of human emotion.
—Wendell Steavenson, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
He's clearly put in the work to become recognized as one of WWE's top performers, especially with his heel persona.
—Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 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 13 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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