1
: of, relating to, or affecting a particular person : private, individual
personal ambition
personal financial gain
2
a
: done in person without the intervention of another
also
: proceeding from a single person
b
: carried on between individuals directly
a personal interview
3
: relating to the person or body
4
: relating to an individual or an individual's character, conduct, motives, or private affairs often in an offensive manner
a personal insult
5
a
: being rational and self-conscious
personal, responsive government is still possible—
John Fischer
John Fischer
b
: having the qualities of a person rather than a thing or abstraction
a personal devil
6
: of, relating to, or constituting personal property
a personal estate
7
: denoting grammatical person
8
: intended for private use or use by one person
a personal stereo
1
: a short newspaper paragraph relating to the activities of a person or a group or to personal matters
2
: a short personal communication in a special column of the classified ads section of a newspaper or periodical
3
Examples of personal in a Sentence
Adjective
This is just my personal opinion.
I can only tell you what I know from personal experience.
He added his own personal touches to the recipe.
We don't accept personal checks.
He is a personal friend of mine.
She is always concerned about her personal appearance.
We provide each of our customers with personal service.
Golf is a personal interest of mine.
May I ask you a personal question?
That information is very personal, and you have no business asking about it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 29 June 2025
That personal story drove Johnson’s decision to build a career working with assault survivors.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 29 June 2025
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025
In a landscape of dating app fatigue and romance scams, the anachronistic-seeming personals section — which is thriving in Vermont — can look like the way of the dating future.
—Philip Galanes, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for personal
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
Treasured items like heirlooms and family mementos deserve a spotlight, so clearing clutter makes room to honor your personal history and pass down meaningful stories.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 29 June 2025
That personal story drove Johnson’s decision to build a career working with assault survivors.
—Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 29 June 2025
Noun
The Celtics took advantage of the Knicks’ on multiple fronts, getting Karl-Anthony Towns into foul trouble with three early personals, then playing the Hack-a-Shaq game with Mitchell Robinson, who shot just 3-of-10 from the foul line to stifle an otherwise dominant defensive performance.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025
In a landscape of dating app fatigue and romance scams, the anachronistic-seeming personals section — which is thriving in Vermont — can look like the way of the dating future.
—Philip Galanes, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for personal
Cite this Entry
“Personal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
personal
1 of 2 adjective
per·son·al
ˈpərs-nəl 
-ᵊn-əl
1
: of, relating to, or belonging to a person : private
personal property
2
a
: done in person
b
: proceeding from or directed to a single person
c
: carried on between individuals directly
3
: relating to the person or body
your personal appearance
4
: closely related to an individual : intimate
5
: indicating grammatical person
personal
2 of 2 noun
: a short paragraph or ad in a newspaper relating to personal matters
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