1
: of, relating to, or affecting a particular person : private, individual
personal ambition
personal financial gain
2
a
: done in person without the intervention of another
also
: proceeding from a single person
b
: carried on between individuals directly
a personal interview
3
: relating to the person or body
4
: relating to an individual or an individual's character, conduct, motives, or private affairs often in an offensive manner
a personal insult
5
a
: being rational and self-conscious
personal, responsive government is still possible—
John Fischer
John Fischer
b
: having the qualities of a person rather than a thing or abstraction
a personal devil
6
: of, relating to, or constituting personal property
a personal estate
7
: denoting grammatical person
8
: intended for private use or use by one person
a personal stereo
1
: a short newspaper paragraph relating to the activities of a person or a group or to personal matters
2
: a short personal communication in a special column of the classified ads section of a newspaper or periodical
3
Synonyms
Examples of personal in a Sentence
Adjective
This is just my personal opinion.
I can only tell you what I know from personal experience.
He added his own personal touches to the recipe.
We don't accept personal checks.
He is a personal friend of mine.
She is always concerned about her personal appearance.
We provide each of our customers with personal service.
Golf is a personal interest of mine.
May I ask you a personal question?
That information is very personal, and you have no business asking about it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 18 Nov. 2024
While an overall heaviness weighs 1883 down, there’s a level of personal feeling here that compensates, as Sheridan concocts an American origin story filled with the intentional messiness and ambiguity that has always been his hallmark.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
Maryalice Parks, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024
It’s said to be delivered in Diller’s own singular voice, and will tackle both his personal and his professional worlds.
—Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for personal 
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Adjective
One of my personal joys of visiting a mountain town is asking locals to tell me the latest and greatest tale of bear crime.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 18 Nov. 2024
While an overall heaviness weighs 1883 down, there’s a level of personal feeling here that compensates, as Sheridan concocts an American origin story filled with the intentional messiness and ambiguity that has always been his hallmark.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
Noun
The two largest costs, according to the group, would be hiring additional personal to carry out deportation raids and constructing and staffing mass detention centers.
—Maryalice Parks, ABC News, 1 Nov. 2024
It’s said to be delivered in Diller’s own singular voice, and will tackle both his personal and his professional worlds.
—Lacey Rose, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for personal
Dictionary Entries Near personal
Cite this Entry
“Personal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
personal
1 of 2 adjective
per·son·al
ˈpərs-nəl 
-ᵊn-əl
1
: of, relating to, or belonging to a person : private
personal property
2
a
: done in person
b
: proceeding from or directed to a single person
c
: carried on between individuals directly
3
: relating to the person or body
your personal appearance
4
: closely related to an individual : intimate
5
: indicating grammatical person
personal
2 of 2 noun
: a short paragraph or ad in a newspaper relating to personal matters
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