persona

noun

per·​so·​na pər-ˈsō-nə How to pronounce persona (audio)
-ˌnä
plural personae pər-ˈsō-(ˌ)nē How to pronounce persona (audio)
-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 In the ideologically sundry society of Al-Hol, Abu Hassan had moderated his persona. Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 The multimillionaire has become known as the Richard Branson of Asia for his flamboyant persona and entrepreneurial spirit. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 With lots of eyeliner and the energy of a hardened survivalist, Stone drops her girl-next-door persona to embody the no-nonsense, edgy love interest at the center of Ruben Fleischer’s beloved horror comedy. Shania Russell, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2024 Curb Your Enthusiasm is known for inviting guest actors onto the HBO improv comedy series to play versions of themselves and go toe-to-toe with Larry David’s onscreen persona. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 The theater kid beneath her pop star persona had taken center stage. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2024 Trump, on the other hand, retains all his self-aware absurdity even while creating a political persona of immense consequence. Seyward Darby, Longreads, 7 Mar. 2024 Plus, his guileless public persona didn’t square with his shrewd business sense and competitiveness, something that rubbed studio executives and power brokers the wrong way. Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 RuPaul’s drag and out-of-drag personas on the show are, essentially, characters. Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'persona.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1732, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of persona was in 1732

Dictionary Entries Near persona

Cite this Entry

“Persona.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persona. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

persona

noun
per·​so·​na pər-ˈsō-nə, -ˌnä How to pronounce persona (audio)
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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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