personality

noun

ˌpər-sə-ˈna-lə-tē How to pronounce personality (audio)
Definition of personalitynext
1
as in celebrity
a person who is widely known and usually much talked about a local television personality who is beloved by area residents

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in identity
the set of qualities that make a person different from other people she's got a great personality

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in self
the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others it has never been in the nation's personality to adhere to a rigid class system

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4
as in offence
an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings every debate that was supposedly about the issues quickly degenerated into a juvenile exchange of personalities

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word personality distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of personality are character, disposition, temperament, and temper. While all these words mean "the dominant quality or qualities distinguishing a person or group," personality applies to an aggregate of qualities that distinguish one as a person.

a somber personality

When is it sensible to use character instead of personality?

Although the words character and personality have much in common, character applies to the aggregate of moral qualities by which a person is judged apart from intelligence, competence, or special talents.

strength of character

In what contexts can disposition take the place of personality?

In some situations, the words disposition and personality are roughly equivalent. However, disposition implies customary moods and attitude toward the life around one.

a cheerful disposition

When would temper be a good substitute for personality?

While in some cases nearly identical to personality, temper implies the qualities acquired through experience that determine how a person or group meets difficulties or handles situations.

a resilient temper

When is temperament a more appropriate choice than personality?

The words temperament and personality can be used in similar contexts, but temperament implies a pattern of innate characteristics associated with one's specific physical and nervous organization.

an artistic temperament

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of personality The kidnapping culminated with Braeburn attacking Chimney (Kenneth Choi) and ultimately shot dead by Athena (Angela Bassett) — but not before exposing the missing persons detective's multiple personalities and painful past. — Patrick Gomez, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025 The idea of wealthy, somewhat debauched, but also a super-gifted artistic personality before the First World War owning cheetahs in Venice. — Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2025 And Peter had a unique personality and a way of just executing his life, of interacting with people. — Kevin Acee, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025 Former Fox News personality and podcaster Dan Bongino was named FBI deputy director a short time later. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for personality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for personality
  1. celebrity
  2. identity
  3. self
  4. star
  5. character
  6. nature
  7. insult
  8. sarcasm
Noun
  • Does the brand fit in the daily lifestyle of your celebrity?
    — Anthony Moniello, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer , from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
    — Randee Dawn, People.com, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of celebrity
Noun
  • Coupled with identity orchestration capabilities, an application fabric allows app owners to define access requirements while enabling identity teams to implement these policies consistently across all platforms.
    — Eric Olden, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The pressure to constantly evolve while maintaining a strong identity can feel like an emotional and professional burden.
    — Stephanie Dillon, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of identity
Noun
  • Alex has to hold on with both hands in order to keep her preggo self in one spot, but we’re distracted from the terror by her voiceover of the fan fiction — er, journal to Spencer — that she’s been keeping.
    — Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 2 Mar. 2025
  • The adaptive leader integrates I (self), we (others) and it (task and purpose) viewpoints.
    — Hylke Faber, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Definition of self
Noun
  • Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Underworld and Love And Friendship star Beckinsale is coming off features Canary Black and Stolen Girl.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of star
Noun
  • That’s not to mention the sheer psychological toll that slipping through the timestream or reliving events can have on a character’s psyche.
    — Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Tartaglia voices multiple characters in the series.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of character
Noun
  • In the internet culture pantheon, few fanfic writers have ever achieved fame, and those that have sometimes do so for the salacious nature of their work.
    — Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Marsh views and the shade of live oaks maintain the connection to nature and stays include daily Lowcountry meals carefully sourced from local farmers or the on-site garden.
    — Elaine Glusac, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of nature
Noun
  • The previous time Lilian had seen Imelda, who was sitting next to her in London, was ten years earlier, when her children were alive, but with some people mindless small talk would be an insult.
    — Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
  • That’s because Trump’s approach isn’t just an insult to Zelensky but to Ukraine itself and its institution of national leadership.
    — Illia Ponomarenko, TIME, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of insult
Noun
  • Investors did not appreciate his sarcasm either, and the stock is down 2.6% since GTC25 kicked off.
    — Karl Freund, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Her boozy, blustering sarcasm should be entered into evidence as a blunt instrument.
    — Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Definition of sarcasm

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Cite this Entry

“Personality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/personality. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on personality

Nglish: Translation of personality for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about personality

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