personally

adverb

per·​son·​al·​ly ˈpərs-nə-lē How to pronounce personally (audio)
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

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
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.
But that’s very different from taking it personally. Kara Alaimo, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025 And Miller is still doing fist-pumps and shouts of joy following big moments, both personally — for blocks off the line, for instance, or successful last-ditch tackles — and as a member of the club (say, after a crucial goal by a teammate). Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025 Any media that can be farmed for personally identifiable information is dangerous. Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025 As for what drives him personally about the series, Greenshner points to his romantic sensibilities. Clayton Davis, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for personally

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of personally was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Personally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personally. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

personally

adverb
per·​son·​al·​ly ˈpərs-nə-lē How to pronounce personally (audio)
-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

More from Merriam-Webster on personally

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!