Definition of personal
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 personb : 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 Fischerb : 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
From the M-W Editors
Examples of personal in a Sentence
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.
Origin and Etymology of personal
Middle English, from Anglo-French personel, from Late Latin personalis, from Latin persona
First Known Use: 14th century
personal
Definition of personal
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
1860
First Known Use of personal
1860
PERSONAL Defined for English Language Learners
personal
playDefinition of personal for English Language Learners
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: belonging or relating to a particular person
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: made or designed to be used by one person
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—used to describe someone whose job involves working for or helping a particular person
PERSONAL Defined for Kids
personal
playDefinition of personal for Students
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.
personally
adverbLaw Dictionary
personal
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
2 : of, relating to, or constituting personal property personal effects — see also personal property at property — compare real
personally
adverbLearn More about personal
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for personal Spanish Central: Translation of personal Nglish: Translation of personal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of personal for Arabic speakers
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