Standard Lemma guide

personal

adj · noun · 18 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɜː.sə.nəl/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɜːs.nəl/
  • General-American: /ˈpɜɹ.sə.nəl/
  • General-American: /ˈpɜɹs.nəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P ER1 S IH0 N AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Pertaining to persons (human beings as opposed to things or animals).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • personal values; personal desire
  • Her song was her personal look at the values of friendship.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Dealing with subjects about which one wishes (or people usually wish) to maintain privacy or discretion; not for public view; sensitive, intimate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • personal reasons
  • You can't read my diary—it is personal.
  • That's a very personal question.
  • I can't believe you went through my drawers and looked at all my personal things!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Intended for sexual use.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: euphemistic

Examples

  • personal lubricant; personal massager

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Pertaining to the external or bodily appearance; corporeal; bodily.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • personal charms

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Done in person; without an intermediary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a personal interview
  • a personal meeting
  • personal settings

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adj

Meaning 7

Relating to an individual, their character, conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive manner

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • personal reflections or remarks
  • Only factual argumentation, no need to get personal.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adj

Meaning 8

Of a noun or pronoun, having reference particular to humans and other entities having personality such as a named animal, a deity, a personification, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adj

Meaning 9

Related to grammatical first, second, etc. persons.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Examples

  • a personal pronoun

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adj

Meaning 10

Denoting ownership.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • one's personal vehicle, as opposed to a company vehicle

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

An advertisement by which an individual attempts to meet others with similar interests.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

One's own property or asset

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • 1748, Tobias Smollett (translator), Alain-René Lesage (original), The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane In addition to this, a coarse shirt quite new, a pair of my father's shoes quite old, and, what rejoiced me more than all the rest, a rouleau of twenty rials in a linen rag. Behold the sum total of my personals.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

adjective

Meaning 13

concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a personal favor
  • for your personal use
  • personal papers
  • I have something personal to tell you
  • a personal God
  • he has his personal bank account and she has hers

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: impersonal

14

adjective

Meaning 14

indicating grammatical person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • personal verb endings

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

adjective

Meaning 15

of or arising from personality

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • personal magnetism

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

adjective satellite

Meaning 16

particular to a given individual

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

adjective satellite

Meaning 17

intimately concerning a person's body or physical being

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • personal hygiene

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

noun

Meaning 18

a short newspaper article about a particular person or group

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: news article, news story, newspaper article

History

Etymology

From Middle English personal, personele, from Anglo-Norman personel, personal, personell, Old French personal, personel, from Late Latin persōnālis (“of a person, personly”), equivalent to person + -al. Doublet of personnel.

Across languages

Translations

123 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: човешки (čoveški) — pertaining to human beings
  • Finnish: ihmis- — pertaining to human beings
  • Hungarian: emberi — pertaining to human beings
  • Hungarian: személyi — pertaining to human beings
  • Ido: homala — pertaining to human beings
  • Korean: 개인의 (gaein-ui) — pertaining to human beings
  • Māori: whaiaro — pertaining to human beings
  • Māori: matawhaiaro — pertaining to human beings
  • Norwegian Bokmål: personrelatert — pertaining to human beings
  • Norwegian Bokmål: menneskelig — pertaining to human beings
  • Afrikaans: persoonlik — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Arabic: شَخْصِيّ (šaḵṣiyy) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Azerbaijani: şəxsi — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Bashkir: шәхси (şəxsi) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Belarusian: асабі́сты (asabísty) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Belarusian: асабо́вы (asabóvy) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Belarusian: персана́льны (pjersanálʹny) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Bulgarian: ли́чен (líčen) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Bulgarian: персона́лен (personálen) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Catalan: personal — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Cebuano: personal — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 私人的 (sīrén de) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Czech: osobní — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Danish: personlig — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Dutch: persoonlijk — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Finnish: henkilökohtainen — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • French: personnel — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Galician: persoal — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • German: persönlich — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Greek: προσωπικός (prosopikós) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Hindi: व्यक्तिगत (vyaktigat) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Hungarian: személyi — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Hungarian: személyes — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Hungarian: egyéni — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Hungarian: saját — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Icelandic: persónulegur — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Ido: personala — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Irish: pearsanta — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Italian: personale — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Japanese: 個人の (kojin no) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Korean: 개인의 (gaeinui) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Central Kurdish: کەسی (kesî) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Latin: proprius — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Macedonian: личен (ličen) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Māori: whaiaro — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Māori: matawhaiaro — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Marathi: व्यक्तिगत (vyaktigat) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Eastern Mari: шке (ške) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Norwegian Bokmål: personlig — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: personleg — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Persian: شخصی (šaxsi) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Polish: osobisty — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Polish: personalny — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Portuguese: pessoal — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Russian: ли́чный (líčnyj) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Russian: персона́льный (personálʹnyj) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Scottish Gaelic: pearsanta — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Slovak: osobný — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Spanish: personal — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Swedish: personlig — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Tagalog: pansarili — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Tagalog: personal — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Tajik: шахсӣ (šaxsi) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Thai: ส่วนตัว (sùuan-dtuua) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Turkish: kişisel — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Turkish: özel — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Turkish: zatî — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Turkish: şahsi — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Ottoman Turkish: خصوصی (hususî) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Ukrainian: особи́стий (osobýstyj) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Ukrainian: персона́льний (personálʹnyj) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Ukrainian: особо́вий (osobóvyj) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Uyghur: شەخسىي (shexsiy) — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Uzbek: shaxsiy — of or pertaining to a particular person
  • Afrikaans: persoonlik — dealing with subjects about which one wishes to maintain privacy or discretion
  • Finnish: henkilökohtainen — dealing with subjects about which one wishes to maintain privacy or discretion
  • Hindi: व्यक्तिगत (vyaktigat) — dealing with subjects about which one wishes to maintain privacy or discretion
  • Hungarian: személyes — dealing with subjects about which one wishes to maintain privacy or discretion
  • Hungarian: magánjellegű — dealing with subjects about which one wishes to maintain privacy or discretion
  • Hungarian: magán- — dealing with subjects about which one wishes to maintain privacy or discretion
  • Finnish: henkilökohtainen — euphemistic: intended for sexual use
  • Hungarian: intim — euphemistic: intended for sexual use
  • Catalan: corporal — pertaining to the external or bodily appearance
  • Czech: osobní — pertaining to the external or bodily appearance
  • Finnish: fyysinen — pertaining to the external or bodily appearance
  • Finnish: ruumiillinen — pertaining to the external or bodily appearance
  • Hungarian: személyes — pertaining to the external or bodily appearance
  • Norwegian Bokmål: personlig — pertaining to the external or bodily appearance
  • Scottish Gaelic: pearsanta — pertaining to the external or bodily appearance
  • Afrikaans: in persoon — done in person
  • Bashkir: шәхси (şəxsi) — done in person
  • Catalan: personal — done in person
  • Finnish: henkilökohtainen — done in person
  • Finnish: oma — done in person
  • French: en personne — done in person
  • Hungarian: személyes — done in person
  • Hungarian: élő — done in person
  • Hungarian: szemtől szembeni — done in person
  • Māori: ā-tinana — done in person
  • Norwegian Bokmål: personlig — done in person
  • Finnish: henkilökohtainen — relating to an individual in an invidious and offensive manner
  • Hungarian: személyeskedő — relating to an individual in an invidious and offensive manner
  • Norwegian Bokmål: personlig — relating to an individual in an invidious and offensive manner
  • Belarusian: асабо́вы (asabóvy) — grammar: denoting person
  • Bulgarian: ли́чен (líčen) — grammar: denoting person
  • Catalan: personal — grammar: denoting person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 人稱 /人称 (rénchēng) — grammar: denoting person
  • Finnish: persoona- — grammar: denoting person
  • French: personnel — grammar: denoting person
  • German: Personal- — grammar: denoting person
  • Greek: προσωπικός (prosopikós) — grammar: denoting person
  • Hungarian: személyes — grammar: denoting person
  • Norwegian Bokmål: personlig — grammar: denoting person
  • Polish: osobowy — grammar: denoting person
  • Russian: ли́чный (líčnyj) — grammar: denoting person
  • Ukrainian: особо́вий (osobóvyj) — grammar: denoting person
  • Finnish: henkilökohtaista -ilmoitus — advertisement
  • Norwegian Bokmål: personligannonse — advertisement
  • Finnish: irtain — property, asset
  • Finnish: irtaimisto — property, asset
  • Hungarian: ingóság — property, asset
  • Hungarian: ingó vagyontárgy — property, asset
  • Norwegian Bokmål: løsøre — property, asset
Real reading context

personal in complete knowledge articles