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
Synonyms
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.
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Recent Examples on the WebCBS News, 26 Sep. 2023
This shift likely does have personal reasons, though.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 25 Sep. 2023
But, don't be fooled by the marketing terms and instead, try out a few different types or consult a hairstylist to find out what works best for you in terms of overall effect and personal preference.
—Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, 25 Sep. 2023
The evening started with Damon sharing personal anecdotes about the work Water.org and Stella Artois have done together to bring clean water supplies to 4.5 million people worldwide since their partnership began in 2015.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 25 Sep. 2023
Williams missed the Bears’ Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for personal reasons after being on the sidelines for the first game of the season against the Green Bay Packers.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 24 Sep. 2023
And then, of course, there’s your kid’s personal style.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 24 Sep. 2023
Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2023
If your home is very, very small, your personal use of those resources will be quite minimal.
—WIRED, 2 Sep. 2023
Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2023
Bam Adebayo just picked up his third personal — an offensive foul away from the ball — with 2:41 to go in the second.
—Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2023
Musical Moments' personal.
—Terry Blain Special To The Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 9 Aug. 2020
Kolek scored 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting before he was called for an offensive foul with just under three minutes remaining in the first half for his second personal.
—Ben Steele, Journal Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2023
The personal was always political for Ms. Noomin, but she wasn’t moved to make overtly political work until the run-up to the 2016 presidential election and the #MeToo movement.
—Penelope Green, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2022
His scientific disagreements on this issue unfortunately veered occasionally into the personal.
—Julianne Dalcanton, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2010
And that may also mean making climate change personal.
—Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 19 Dec. 2022
Responding to the impromptu comments of the audience around him, as if standing at the pulpit on a Sunday at his Atlanta church, his remarks often blended the personal with the political.
—Maya King Jonathan Weisman Ken Bensinger Reid Epstein Reid Epstein Maya King Reid Epstein Maya King Jonathan Weisman Jonathan Weisman Jonathan Weisman Richard Fausset Richard Fausset Jonathan Weisman Maya King Maya King Richard Fausset Maya King Maya King Reid Epstein Reid Epstein Richard Fausset Nate Cohn Richard Fausset Jonathan Weisman Maya King Nate Cohn Maya King Jonathan Weisman Nate Cohn Na, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2022
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Adjective
By 1965, Illya was a full partner to Vaughn's character and both stars were mobbed during personal appearances.
—CBS News, 26 Sep. 2023
This shift likely does have personal reasons, though.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 25 Sep. 2023
But, don't be fooled by the marketing terms and instead, try out a few different types or consult a hairstylist to find out what works best for you in terms of overall effect and personal preference.
—Kaleigh Fasanella, Allure, 25 Sep. 2023
The evening started with Damon sharing personal anecdotes about the work Water.org and Stella Artois have done together to bring clean water supplies to 4.5 million people worldwide since their partnership began in 2015.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 25 Sep. 2023
Williams missed the Bears’ Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for personal reasons after being on the sidelines for the first game of the season against the Green Bay Packers.
—Ryan Morik, Fox News, 24 Sep. 2023
And then, of course, there’s your kid’s personal style.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 24 Sep. 2023
Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 3 Sep. 2023
If your home is very, very small, your personal use of those resources will be quite minimal.
—WIRED, 2 Sep. 2023
Noun
Jaylen Brown just picked up his fourth personal on a drive to the rim against Bam Adebayo.
—Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2023
Bam Adebayo just picked up his third personal — an offensive foul away from the ball — with 2:41 to go in the second.
—Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2023
Musical Moments' personal.
—Terry Blain Special To The Star Tribune, Star Tribune, 9 Aug. 2020
Kolek scored 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting before he was called for an offensive foul with just under three minutes remaining in the first half for his second personal.
—Ben Steele, Journal Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2023
The personal was always political for Ms. Noomin, but she wasn’t moved to make overtly political work until the run-up to the 2016 presidential election and the #MeToo movement.
—Penelope Green, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2022
His scientific disagreements on this issue unfortunately veered occasionally into the personal.
—Julianne Dalcanton, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2010
And that may also mean making climate change personal.
—Jameelah Nasheed, Essence, 19 Dec. 2022
Responding to the impromptu comments of the audience around him, as if standing at the pulpit on a Sunday at his Atlanta church, his remarks often blended the personal with the political.
—Maya King Jonathan Weisman Ken Bensinger Reid Epstein Reid Epstein Maya King Reid Epstein Maya King Jonathan Weisman Jonathan Weisman Jonathan Weisman Richard Fausset Richard Fausset Jonathan Weisman Maya King Maya King Richard Fausset Maya King Maya King Reid Epstein Reid Epstein Richard Fausset Nate Cohn Richard Fausset Jonathan Weisman Maya King Nate Cohn Maya King Jonathan Weisman Nate Cohn Na, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'personal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing personal
Dictionary Entries Near personal
Cite this Entry
“Personal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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Kids 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
Legal Definition
personal
adjective
per·son·al
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
2
: of, relating to, or constituting personal property
personal effects
see also personal property at property compare real
personally
adverb
More from Merriam-Webster on personal
Nglish: Translation of personal for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of personal for Arabic Speakers
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