personal effects

plural noun

: privately owned items (such as clothing and jewelry) normally worn or carried on the person

Examples of personal effects in a Sentence

put all of your personal effects in the bin so that they can be x-rayed
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The victim's friends were able to traipse through the crime scene to collect personal effects. Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Oct. 2025 Investigators recovered more bones, clothing and personal effects, but other than determining the remains belonged to a woman who was at least middle-aged, could not identify her, deputies said. Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 5 Oct. 2025 Hoping the isolation will work wonders for his TV script, Harry (who’s clearly never heard of The Shining) becomes addicted to Limitless-style pills that enhance his creative output but have devastating personal effects. Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025 There were just 36 instances of personal effects being preserved and catalogued last year, according to city statistics. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for personal effects

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of personal effects was in 1818

Cite this Entry

“Personal effects.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal%20effects. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

personal effects

plural noun
: privately owned items (as clothing or jewelry) normally worn or carried on the person
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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