impersonal

adjective

Definition of impersonalnext
as in withdrawn
having or showing no emotional warmth or interest in others The CEO was impersonal during the meeting, focusing only on the business at hand.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of impersonal Otherwise, he’s restricted to impersonal helpers — a detective (Liza Colón-Zayas) willing to take his phone calls, an AI assistant (ew) and a network of facial recognition cameras (double ew). — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 The treatment menu reflects Ben’s belief that effective skincare should never feel impersonal. — Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 30 July 2026 No more dueling, impersonal press releases, emails and social media barrages. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 27 July 2026 If your living room feels too polished, predictable or impersonal, a trip to the thrift store may be more useful than another scroll through a major retailer’s website. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for impersonal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impersonal
  1. withdrawn
  2. detached
  3. dispassionate
  4. clinical
  5. distant
  6. professional
  7. silent
Adjective
  • In an era of ball-to-feet No 10s and withdrawn strikers, Welbeck stays high up the pitch, runs the channels and occupies defenders.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The withdrawn earnings are taxed as ordinary income, the Treasury said.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 11 July 2026
Definition of withdrawn
Adjective
  • The regulations list possibilities including guest houses, caretaker residences, cabanas, gyms, libraries, pool houses, boat houses and detached garages.
    — Luisa Yanez Updated September 3, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The former Feyenoord boss stood accused of being too detached from the local fanbase.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of detached
Adjective
  • Whether fans end up growing frustrated with integrity issues or not, gambling still threatens to morph devoted fandoms into dispassionate audiences.
    — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Professor Capps, ever the dispassionate intellectual, let the material speak for itself.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of dispassionate
Adjective
  • In the United States, the clinical guidance is that everyone at average risk start screening for colorectal cancer at age 45.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Bonnie Mitchell, a licensed professional clinical counselor in California, noted that this was an observational, cross-sectional study.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of clinical
Adjective
  • Growing up in nearby Long Island, where my parents moved partially due to fear of what would happen next, the attacks felt like a distant but ever-present part of my life.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
  • This week is a great time to find it because Neptune soon reaches opposition within Pisces, making the distant planet brighter than at any other time this year.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of distant
Adjective
  • At the time, NBA commissioner Adam Silver declared the change was intended to signal that the WNBA held equal stature with other major professional leagues.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • One option is credit counseling, where a professional counselor reviews your finances and discusses potential repayment strategies.
    — Craig Lebrau, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of professional
Adjective
  • Towering cathedrals of ice define the shore, in contrast to the vast, untouched, eerily silent expanses that stretch inland.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 11 Sep. 2026
  • At the time, which was also a moment of upheaval for filmdom as talking pictures replaced silent films as the norm for high-end films, American players kept their distance rather than cede ground to the French on leading the film business.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of silent

Browse Nearby Words

impermissible
impersonal
impersonate
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Impersonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impersonal. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shofar

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All