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
The company debuted spatial personas a few weeks ago, to give you some friendly companions in the Vision Pro universe, however, the early spatial personas were a little creepy.
—
Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024
Despite the glamorous veneer of his public persona, Vezzoli is actually quite the scholar.
—Tiziana Cardini, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
Many of us are struggling to navigate the transformations of stars like Olivia Rodrigo and JoJo Siwa, stars who appeal big time to kids but have recently stepped more into their new adult personas.
—Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 19 Apr. 2024
At some point, though, the persona might've overshadowed the talent in some viewers' eyes.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
The trial also raises the matter of Trump’s business and political personas — few American presidents in history have been so publicly intertwined with their wealth.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
According to Shannon, John was more complex than the dad viewers saw on television but had similarities to his Good Times persona.
—Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Others say Jay’s sweet, fatherly persona masks a hot temper and intolerance for anyone who questions his authority.
—Rene Ebersole, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
Maintaining that persona, however, took effort, as Simpson acknowledged.
—Susan Schindehette, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Maxwell Zeff / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Apr. 2024
Despite the glamorous veneer of his public persona, Vezzoli is actually quite the scholar.
—Tiziana Cardini, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
Many of us are struggling to navigate the transformations of stars like Olivia Rodrigo and JoJo Siwa, stars who appeal big time to kids but have recently stepped more into their new adult personas.
—Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 19 Apr. 2024
At some point, though, the persona might've overshadowed the talent in some viewers' eyes.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
The trial also raises the matter of Trump’s business and political personas — few American presidents in history have been so publicly intertwined with their wealth.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
According to Shannon, John was more complex than the dad viewers saw on television but had similarities to his Good Times persona.
—Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
Others say Jay’s sweet, fatherly persona masks a hot temper and intolerance for anyone who questions his authority.
—Rene Ebersole, Rolling Stone, 21 Apr. 2024
Maintaining that persona, however, took effort, as Simpson acknowledged.
—Susan Schindehette, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near persona
Cite this Entry
“Persona.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persona. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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
Share