personal

adjective

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per·son·al | \ ˈpərs-nəl

, ˈpər-sə-nəl \

Definition of personal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or affecting a particular person : private, individual personal ambition personal financial gain

2a : 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

5a : being rational and self-conscious personal, responsive government is still possible— 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

personal

noun

Definition of personal (Entry 2 of 2)

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 : personal foul

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing personal Learn More About personal

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has thrown the trade of sunflower oil into chaos and is squeezing already tight supplies of other vegetable oils used in food, biofuels and personal care products. — Tribune Media Services, al, 24 Apr. 2022 In attempting to fulfill one of his childhood wishes, to get poor people out of poverty, Parrish spent decades forming programs to help struggling students with personal or academic problems — often entirely for free. — Brock Blasdell, AZCentral.com, 24 Apr. 2022 In fact, some of the royals with the most coveted personal styles—Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle—are well known for making denim look polished and timeless. — Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 24 Apr. 2022 Some medical experts, both in Connecticut and nationally, say this retreat from restrictions makes sense and that this stage of the pandemic is about personal — as opposed to collective — responsibility. — Alex Putterman, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2022 Roosevelt’s Lily Jones finished second in a personal-best time of 11.44 seconds. — oregonlive, 24 Apr. 2022 Thompson placed first in the 154-pound class in the snatch and set a personal record after lifting a 190 total. — Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2022 One couple has dedicated their lives to serving others, drawing strength from personal challenges. — Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2022 All crew members are masked outside their personal rooms, Matthews said. — Tammy Stables Battaglia, Detroit Free Press, 24 Apr. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Enrique Campbell beat his previous personal-best of 11.12 in the 100 by running 10.59 for a school record that ranks eighth all-time in GNAC history. — Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 18 Apr. 2022 O’Toole’s is a wildly ambitious project, one that accounts for inevitable partiality precisely through this invocation of the personal. — Claire Messud, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Feb. 2022 For Gunn, the personal is constituted by conflict, and by self-division as a response to outside pressures. — Matthew Bevis, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Feb. 2022 Beyond policy and promises, the personal has loomed largest for Biden. — Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2022 Gamilla set personal-best times in Friday’s prelims of the 200 IM with a 1:48.21 and the 100 breaststroke with a 55.03, then finished fourth and third in the finals, respectively. — Matt Le Cren, chicagotribune.com, 1 Mar. 2022 Through two gestures, one personal, the other institutional, the functional nature of religious images was made clear. — New York Times, 3 Feb. 2022 Robinson learned to write credible utopian fiction in part through a fractal sort of thinking, connecting the personal to the planetary. — Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2022 The item — a device used to identify U.S. military personal in the field — was among several that Wang, who goes by the nickname Ivy, obtained for her husband’s resale business through her Navy credentials, according to prosecutors. — Kristina Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'personal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries Near personal

persona gratissima

personal

personal account

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Last Updated

26 Apr 2022

Cite this Entry

“Personal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal. Accessed 29 Apr. 2022.

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More Definitions for personal

personal

adjective

per·son·al | \ ˈpər-sə-nəl

Kids Definition of personal

1 : of, relating to, or belonging to an individual human being : not public : not general personal property

2 : made or done by a particular individual and not by someone acting for him or her The mayor made a personal appearance.

3 : of the body Take precautions for personal safety.

4 : relating to someone's private matters May I ask you a personal question?

5 : intended for or given to one particular individual I received personal service.

6 : relating to a particular individual or his or her qualities often in a way that is hurtful I took the remark as a personal insult.

personal

adjective

per·son·al

Legal Definition of personal

1 : of, relating to, or affecting a person: as

a : of, relating to, or based on the existence or presence of a person — see also personal injury, personal jurisdiction at jurisdiction

b : of, relating to, or restricted to a natural person and his or her rights, obligations, affairs, assets, or lifetime refused to disclose personal information released on personal recognizance