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
5
: in a way that involves someone's personal life
I don't know her personally. [=I have never met her]
often, specifically
: in a way that involves someone's personal life as opposed to someone's work or job
I know her both personally and professionally.
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
The Temple Israel attack was perpetrated by an individual personally connected to the Middle East conflict — members of his family were killed in Lebanon during an Israeli strike.
—
Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
The office of the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights then introduced new conditions for his return, asking for Dvornychenko to come and pick him up personally – an option rejected by Ukraine, given the risk of her being rearrested.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
He was known for personally digging into the details of bureau investigations, even on minor cases, and surprising agents who suddenly found themselves on the phone with him.
—Julia Kimani-Burnham, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
On Saturday, billionaire Elon Musk weighed in with an offer to personally pay TSA staff.
—Shannon Bond, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for personally
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Joshua M. Davidson, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026
The office of the Russian Commissioner for Human Rights then introduced new conditions for his return, asking for Dvornychenko to come and pick him up personally – an option rejected by Ukraine, given the risk of her being rearrested.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
He was known for personally digging into the details of bureau investigations, even on minor cases, and surprising agents who suddenly found themselves on the phone with him.
—Julia Kimani-Burnham, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
On Saturday, billionaire Elon Musk weighed in with an offer to personally pay TSA staff.
—Shannon Bond, NPR, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for personally
Cite this Entry
“Personally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personally. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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