persona
noun
per·so·na
pər-ˈsō-nə 
-ˌnä
plural personae
pər-ˈsō-(ˌ)nē
-ˌnī
or personas
1
: a character assumed by an author in a written work
2
a
plural personas
[New Latin, from Latin]
: an individual's social facade or front that especially in the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung reflects the role in life the individual is playing compare anima
b
: the personality that a person (such as an actor or politician) projects in public : image
3
plural personae
: a character in a fictional presentation (such as a novel or play)
—usually used in plural
comic personae
Examples of persona in a Sentence
His public persona is that of a strong, determined leader, but in private life he's very insecure.
The band takes on a whole new persona when they perform live.
Recent Examples on the Web
Altman’s tips on efficiency may be especially relevant for Paul, who has leveraged his YouTube persona into a professional boxing career and a growing portfolio of business ventures.
—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
So Nancy Pelosi had loved to talk about how Bob would like to go barefoot, just as one of the idiosyncrasies of his free-spirited persona.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
Newsom writes that his mother feared politics would trap him in a false persona masking deeper insecurities from dyslexia and his paradoxical upbringing.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Spencer famously had a villainous persona on the reality series and in the public spotlight, and his feuding with sister Stephanie was chronicled both on- and off-screen.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for persona
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.
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 18 Feb. 2026
So Nancy Pelosi had loved to talk about how Bob would like to go barefoot, just as one of the idiosyncrasies of his free-spirited persona.
—Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
Newsom writes that his mother feared politics would trap him in a false persona masking deeper insecurities from dyslexia and his paradoxical upbringing.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Spencer famously had a villainous persona on the reality series and in the public spotlight, and his feuding with sister Stephanie was chronicled both on- and off-screen.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for persona
Cite this Entry
“Persona.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persona. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
persona
noun
per·so·na
pər-ˈsō-nə, -ˌnä
plural personas
: an individual's social facade or front that especially in the analytical psychology of C. G. Jung reflects the role in life the individual is playing compare anima sense 1
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
