personally

adverb

per·​son·​al·​ly ˈpərs-nə-lē 

ˈpər-sə-nə-

1

: in person

attend to the matter personally

2

: as a person : in personality

personally attractive but not very trustworthy

3

: for oneself : as far as oneself is concerned

personally, I don't want to go

4

: in a personal manner

don't take this personally

Synonyms

• immediately
• secretly
• in secret
• in private

Examples of personally in a Sentence

You will be held personally responsible for any losses or damages.

The player was personally criticized by his coach.

He blamed me personally for causing the problem.

I was personally offended by the article.

Recent Examples on the Web

Washington is said to have personally led more than 10,000 militia troops in what is believed to be the first – and only – time a sitting president has commanded troops in the field. —Josh Meyer, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025

Probably nobody really took it that personally, but all the victory laps she’s been taking over the last two years felt incomplete — like a lap-ette — without a proper major SoCal show to celebrate her ascendance into the pop firmament. —Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2025

This was an example of high-level oversight in which the secretary of transportation was personally involved in seeking a solution to ensure air travel remained safe while trying to increase capacity. —Brian Strzempkowski, The Conversation, 11 Oct. 2025

Some things do fall by the wayside, and people take it personally. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing personally

• take it personally

Rhymes for personally

• impersonally

Kids Definition

personally

adverb

per·​son·​al·​ly ˈpərs-nə-lē 

-ᵊn-ə-

1

: in person

attend to the matter personally

2

: as a person : in personality

personally attractive

3

: for oneself : as far as oneself is concerned

personally, I am against it