personal
See also: Personal and personál
English
Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for personal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913)
Alternative forms
- personall (obsolete)
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.
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈpɜː.sə.nəl/, /ˈpɜːs.nəl/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈpɝ.sə.nəl/, /ˈpɜɹs.nəl/
Audio (US) (file) - Hyphenation: per‧son‧al, perso‧nal
Adjective
personal (comparative more personal, superlative most personal)
- Pertaining to human beings as distinct from things.
- Of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals; peculiar or proper to private concerns; not public or general
- 2014 March 3, Zoe Alderton, “‘Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom”, in Religions, volume 5, number 1, MDPI, DOI:, pages 219-257:
- Despite personal schisms and differences in spiritual experience, there is a very coherent theology of Snape shared between the wives. To examine this manifestation of religious fandom, I will first discuss the canon scepticism and anti-Rowling sentiment that helps to contextualise the wider belief in Snape as a character who extends beyond book and film.
- 2015 October 27, Matt Preston, The Simple Secrets to Cooking Everything Better, Plum, →ISBN, page 192:
- You could just use ordinary shop-bought kecap manis to marinade the meat, but making your own is easy, has a far more elegant fragrance and is, above all, such a great brag! Flavouring kecap manis is an intensely personal thing, so try this version now and next time cook the sauce down with crushed, split lemongrass and a shredded lime leaf.
- personal values personal desire personal reasons
- Her song was her personal look at the values of friendship.
-
- Dealing with subjects about which one wishes (or people usually wish) to maintain privacy or discretion; not for public view; sensitive, intimate.
- 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!
- (euphemistic) Intended for sexual use.
- personal lubricant; personal massager
- Pertaining to the external or bodily appearance; corporeal.
- personal charms
- 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:
- The most rapid and most seductive transition in all human nature is that which attends the palliation of a ravenous appetite. […] Can those harmless but refined fellow-diners be the selfish cads whose gluttony and personal appearance so raised your contemptuous wrath on your arrival?
- Done in person; without the intervention of another.
- a personal interview
- personal settings
- 2011, Bob Nelson, Peter Economy, Consulting For Dummies
- Although you miss the nonverbal cues that you pick up in a personal meeting, you can call far more clients in a day than you can meet with in person.
- Relating to an individual, their character, conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive manner
- personal reflections or remarks
- (grammar) Denoting a person.
- a personal pronoun
- Denoting ownership.
- one's personal vehicle, as opposed to a company vehicle
Usage notes
Not to be confused with personnel (“employees, staff”).
Derived terms
Prefixed forms
- antipersonal
- bipersonal
- depersonalize, depersonalization
- extrapersonal
- hyperpersonal
- impersonal
- interpersonal
- intrapersonal
- monopersonal
- multipersonal
- nonpersonal
- overpersonalize
- peripersonal
- polypersonal
- prepersonal
- subpersonal
- superpersonal
- suprapersonal
- telepersonals
- transpersonal
- tripersonal
- ultrapersonal
- unipersonal
- unpersonal
Suffixed forms
- personalise, personalize
- personalism
- personalist
- personalistic
- personally
- personalness
- personalty
Compound words
- personalzine
Expressions with this term at the beginning
- personal ad, p. advertisement
- personal area network
- personal assistant
- personal attack, p. attacker
- personal best
- personal capital
- personal column
- personal computer
- personal conduct
- personal covenant
- personal data
- personal day
- personal defence/defense weapon
- personal development
- personal digital assistant
- personal effect
- personal equation, absolute p.e.
- personal estate
- personal exception
- personal fiduciary
- personal flotation device
- personal foul
- personal god
- personal hygiene
- personal identification number
- personal identity
- personal injury
- personal jurisdiction
- personal life
- personal locator beacon
- personal lubricant
- personal mobility device
- personal name
- personal navigant
- personal online desktop
- personal ordinariate
- personal organizer
- personal pension
- personal pronoun
- personal property, p.p. tax
- personal protective equipment, personal protector
- personal record
- personal rule
- personal security
- personal service
- personal shopper, p. shopping
- Personal Social Health Education
- personal space
- personal stereo
- personal trainer, personal training
- personal transaction
- personal transporter
- personal union
- personal video recorder
- personal water craft
Expressions with this term at the end
- nothing personal
- up close and personal
Related terms
- personalia
- personality
- personally
- personnel
Translations
pertaining to human beings
|
of or pertaining to a particular person
|
dealing with subjects about which one wishes to maintain privacy or discretion
|
euphemistic: intended for sexual use
|
pertaining to the external or bodily appearance
|
done in person
|
relating to an individual in an invidious and offensive manner
|
grammar: denoting person
|
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
|
Further reading
- personal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
Noun
personal (plural personals)
- (chiefly in the plural) An advertisement by which an individual attempts to meet others with similar interests.
- A movable; a chattel.
Translations
advertisement
|
movable
|
Anagrams
- psoralen
Catalan
Etymology
From Late Latin persōnālis.
Pronunciation
- (Balearic) IPA(key): /pəɾ.soˈnal/
- (Central) IPA(key): /pər.suˈnal/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /peɾ.soˈnal/
Adjective
personal (masculine and feminine plural personals)
- personal
- Antonym: impersonal
Derived terms
- personalitzar
- personalment
- unipersonal
Related terms
- impersonal
- persona
- personalitat
Further reading
- “personal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “personal”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
- “personal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “personal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Cebuano
Etymology
Borrowed from English personal, from Middle English personal, personele, from Anglo-Norman personel, personal, personell, Old French personal, personel, from Late Latin persōnālis (“of a person, personly”).
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: per‧so‧nal
- IPA(key): /peɾˈsonal/, [pɪɾ̪ˈs̪u.n̪ʌl̪]
Adjective
personal
- of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals; peculiar or proper to private concerns; not public or general
Quotations
For quotations using this term, see Citations:personal.
German
Etymology
Borrowed from Late Latin persōnālis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pɛʁzoˈnaːl/
- Hyphenation: per‧so‧nal
Audio (file)
Adjective
personal (strong nominative masculine singular personaler, not comparable)
- personal
Declension
Positive forms of personal (uncomparable)
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist personal | sie ist personal | es ist personal | sie sind personal | |
| strong declension (without article) | nominative | personaler | personale | personales | personale |
| genitive | personalen | personaler | personalen | personaler | |
| dative | personalem | personaler | personalem | personalen | |
| accusative | personalen | personale | personales | personale | |
| weak declension (with definite article) | nominative | der personale | die personale | das personale | die personalen |
| genitive | des personalen | der personalen | des personalen | der personalen | |
| dative | dem personalen | der personalen | dem personalen | den personalen | |
| accusative | den personalen | die personale | das personale | die personalen | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) | nominative | ein personaler | eine personale | ein personales | (keine) personalen |
| genitive | eines personalen | einer personalen | eines personalen | (keiner) personalen | |
| dative | einem personalen | einer personalen | einem personalen | (keinen) personalen | |
| accusative | einen personalen | eine personale | ein personales | (keine) personalen | |
Further reading
- “personal” in Duden online
- “personal” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
Indonesian
Etymology
From English personal, from Middle English personal, personele, from Anglo-Norman personel, personal, personell, Old French personal, personel, from Late Latin persōnālis (“of a person, personly”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [pərˈsonal]
- Hyphenation: pêr‧so‧nal
Adjective
personal
- personal.
- Synonym: syahsiah
Related terms
- person
- persona
- personalia
- personalisasi
- personalitas
- personel
Further reading
- “personal” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.
Interlingua
Adjective
personal (comparative plus personal, superlative le plus personal)
- personal
Noun
personal (uncountable)
- staff, personnel
Ladin
Adjective
personal m (feminine singular personala, masculine plural personai, feminine plural personales)
- personal
Romanian
Etymology
From Latin personalis or German personell or Italian personale or French personnel.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /per.soˈnal/
Adjective
personal m or n (feminine singular personală, masculine plural personali, feminine and neuter plural personale)
- personal
Declension
Declension of personal
| singular | plural | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | neuter | feminine | masculine | neuter | feminine | ||
| nominative/ accusative | indefinite | personal | personală | personali | personale | ||
| definite | personalul | personala | personalii | personalele | |||
| genitive/ dative | indefinite | personal | personale | personali | personale | ||
| definite | personalului | personalei | personalilor | personalelor | |||
Noun
personal n (plural personale)
- staff, members of staff, personnel
Declension
Declension of personal
| singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
| nominative/accusative | (un) personal | personalul | (niște) personale | personalele |
| genitive/dative | (unui) personal | personalului | (unor) personale | personalelor |
| vocative | personalule | personalelor | ||
Spanish
Etymology
From Late Latin persōnālis.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /peɾsoˈnal/ [peɾ.soˈnal]
Audio (Mexico) (file) - Rhymes: -al
- Syllabification: per‧so‧nal
Adjective
personal (plural personales)
- personal
- Antonym: impersonal
Derived terms
- cédula personal
- defensa personal
- entrenador personal
- forma personal
- ordenador personal
- personalismo
- personalmente
- pronombre personal
- unipersonal
Noun
personal m (plural personales)
- personnel, staff
- profesores y personal ― faculty and staff
- personal militar ― military personnel
- personal de seguridad ― security personnel
- personal sanitario ― health workers, healthcare workers, medical personnel
- personal médico ― medical staff, medical personnel; medical practitioners
Noun
personal m (uncountable)
- (informal) folks, people, mob, crowd; the masses
- 1993, Francisco Umbral, Queremos saber, Antena 3, 23 April:
- Yo he venido aquí a hablar de mi libro; y no a hablar de lo que opine el personal, que me da lo mismo, porque para eso tengo mi columna y mi opinión diaria.
- 1993, Francisco Umbral, Queremos saber, Antena 3, 23 April:
Derived terms
- antipersonal
Related terms
- impersonal
- persona
- personalidad
Further reading
- “personal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Swedish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [pɛʂʊnˈɑːl]
Noun
personal c
- staff (employees of a business)
- Synonym: arbetskraft
Declension
| Declension of personal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
| Nominative | personal | personalen | personaler | personalerna |
| Genitive | personals | personalens | personalers | personalernas |
Anagrams
- polarens, polernas
Tagalog
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish personal.
Pronunciation
- Hyphenation: per‧so‧nal
- IPA(key): /peɾsoˈnal/, [peɾ.soˈnal]
- IPA(key): /ˌpeɾsoˈnal/, [ˌpeɾ.soˈnal]
Adjective
personal
- personal
Derived terms
- personalan