personal
Noun pluralpersonals
Often confused with personnel
Pluralpersonals
- 1Connected with, affecting, or owned by one person, or each person separately.
Like a toothbrush: it belongs to just one person.
She ran her personal best in the race today.
The coach made a personal plan for each player on the team.
UsagePersonal is about you; personnel means staff.
Similarindividual, private, own
Oppositepublic, general, collective, shared
- 2About private things that someone wants to keep secret or not share widely.
Like a locked diary you don't want anyone to open.
That's a personal question, and I'd rather not answer it.
She wrote about some deeply personal struggles in her diary.
UsageSay That's personal to avoid a question.
Similarprivate, intimate, sensitive, confidential
Oppositepublic
- 3
- 4Said in a mean way that attacks someone's character or private life.
Like an argument that stops being about the topic and starts attacking the person.
Let's keep this debate about ideas and not make it personal.
His comments turned personal when he mocked her family.
UsageSay don't make it personal.
Similaroffensive, insulting, hurtful, disparaging
- 5Done by someone in person, not through another person or by message.
Like handing someone a gift yourself instead of mailing it.
The mayor made a personal appearance at the school.
She paid a personal visit to thank each volunteer.
UsageSay a personal visit.
Similardirect, in-person, face-to-face
Oppositeindirect
- 6A short ad, in print or online, that someone places to find a date, a partner, or a friend.
Like a tiny note on a board that says you want to meet someone.
He met his wife through a personal in the local paper.
Her friend dared her to answer one of the personals in the paper.
UsageSay the personals for the dating ads.
Similarad, advertisement, classified
- 7About people, or having the qualities of a person, not of a thing.
Like the difference between a friend and a rock: only the friend is a person.
Many religions describe a personal God who hears prayers.
Many people believe in a personal God who listens and cares.
Oppositeimpersonal
Note
Less common meanings
- 8In grammar, showing whether a word refers to the speaker, the person spoken to, or anyone or anything else.
Like the difference between saying 'I', 'you', and 'they'.
Personal pronouns like 'I' and 'you' change with the speaker.
English verbs have few personal endings compared with Latin.
UsageSay personal pronoun for words like I and you.
Note
- 9In grammar, used for words that point to people or person-like beings.
The relative pronoun 'who' goes with personal nouns.
In this language, personal nouns take a special ending.
Note
- 10Something you own yourself. People almost always say personals for the things they own.
I've had my cell ransacked, savagely searched, and as a result, had my legal papers stolen and destroyed, allong with what little personal clothing and other personals I had.
1982, Roosevelt Williamson, “Prison Racism and Legal Slavery in America”Here, personals means things a person owns, like personal belongings.Similarbelongings, possessions, effects, things
Note
- 11A polite word for products meant for sexual use.
The pharmacy keeps personal lubricants on the bottom shelf.
She quietly ordered a personal massager online.
Similarintimate
Note
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
From Latin persōnālis, meaning 'of a person', made from the word for 'person'. It came into English through French.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts
- Personal derives from Latin persōnālis. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin persōnālis means 'of a person'. en.wiktionary.org
- Persōnālis was formed from the Latin word for 'person'. en.wiktionary.org
- Personal entered English through French. en.wiktionary.org