personal

adjective

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

Other Words from personal Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about personal

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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: Adjective

The Google Glass of personal transportation: functional, novel, and sold to people who couldn’t notice their own indignity. — James Lynch, Popular Mechanics, "What Happened When I Rode a Boosted Board From New York to Philadelphia," 27 Dec. 2018 Serena's become more candid about her professional and personal lives over the past few years. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Serena Williams Has the Best Tough-Love Advice for Meghan Markle," 7 Dec. 2018 Just be aware that the first couple of blocks on the route are mostly off-limits, so don't expect an up-close and personal view. — Caitlin Morton, Condé Nast Traveler, "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: 2018 Information and Event History," 21 Nov. 2018 Further Reading Up close and personal with Scuderia Corsa’s Ferrari 488 GT3 race car Like their road cousins, they sport engine configurations from V10s, V8s, and V6s to horizontally opposed six-cylinders. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "Open mind, wide open throttle: We go to our first NASCAR race," 15 Nov. 2018 The price point for home goods is often higher than apparel and personal care items. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "The rise of the direct-to-consumer home," 21 Dec. 2018 Where: Blissed Yoga Retreats, Siem Reap Cambodia What: Manifest personal health and happiness through daily holistic yoga, taught by two of Los Angeles’s most accomplished and influential teachers, Travis Eliot and Lauren Eckstrom. — Micaela English, Town & Country, "8 Wellness Retreats To Reset Your Body And Mind," 17 Dec. 2018 The glass is one of Skvarla and Conrad's personal favorites, made in Mexico by artisans with physical disabilities who have struggled to get jobs elsewhere due to discrimination. — Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, "Lauren Conrad And Hannah Skvarla Of The Little Market Are Changing The World," 11 Dec. 2018 There is a presumed logic that some of the more exciting host options—like Tiffany Haddish or Maya Rudolph or my personal favorite, Billy Eichner—are somehow not recognizable enough to entice a mass audience. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "Who Needs an Oscars Host Anyway?," 7 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Silbert told The Sacramento Bee in an interview that Newsom attended Delancey Street Foundation roughly once a week for three years for personal and group therapy. — Angela Hart, sacbee, "Gavin Newsom didn't really go to rehab | The Sacramento Bee," 23 Apr. 2018 Some dating sites and Craigslist’s personals page have already fallen victim to the new laws. — Susan Elizabeth Shepard, Vox, "It’s International Whores’ Day. Let’s talk about why strippers need better labor laws.," 1 June 2018 Police found that the boy had posted an ad on Craigslist.org under Hartford/personals/casual encounters. — Jesse Leavenworth, courant.com, "Manchester Man Faces Federal Child Porn Charges," 26 Apr. 2018 The online site, which features free classified ads for everything from jobs to housing to dump trucks, shut down its personals sections Friday for U.S. sites. — Don Sweeney, sacbee, "Craigslist ditches personals ads following passage of sex-trafficking law | The Sacramento Bee," 25 Mar. 2018 On the 40-yard dash, try for personal bests in both attempts because the times are averaged, but decelerate gradually to avoid pulling a muscle. — Liz Clarke, chicagotribune.com, "'Super agents' rep 75 percent of NFL players. It's a competitive fight to sign the rest.," 20 Apr. 2018 One of them feels personal: Gomes cast his girlfriend and best friend to portray a couple getting engaged on a beach. — Muri Assunção, Billboard, "Meet Nuno Gomes, the Director Behind Videos From Latin Superstars Ozuna and Natti Natasha," 21 May 2018 In one sting, a deputy posted an ad in the personals section on doublelist.com. — David Harris, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Operation reduces crime, drug overdoses, sheriff's office says," 18 May 2018 The Pacers had a foul to give, but Thaddeus Young, wearing five personals, was not the wisest choice as James' defender. — Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Cavaliers 2018: James' 44-point, last-shot masterpiece wins Game 5: Bill Livingston (photos)," 26 Apr. 2018

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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More Definitions for personal

personal

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of personal

: belonging or relating to a particular person

: made or designed to be used by one person

—used to describe someone whose job involves working for or helping a particular person

See the full definition for personal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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