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
These distinct personas or bots interact with customers in fun, human-like ways.
—
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
This is not the voice of either a character or a narrative persona.
—Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
The themes might verge into oversharing for some, but it’s always been a part of her persona, and the upshot is about confronting, accepting and/or resolving one’s own messiness and starting over (hence the title).
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 27 June 2025
Advertisement Hargitay, who would build her own career as an actor on TV’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, never felt comfortable with either her mother’s persona or her life choices.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for persona
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Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
This is not the voice of either a character or a narrative persona.
—Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
The themes might verge into oversharing for some, but it’s always been a part of her persona, and the upshot is about confronting, accepting and/or resolving one’s own messiness and starting over (hence the title).
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 27 June 2025
Advertisement Hargitay, who would build her own career as an actor on TV’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, never felt comfortable with either her mother’s persona or her life choices.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 June 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 8 Jul. 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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