personification

American  

[per-son-uh-fi-kay-shuhn] / pərˌsɒn ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

• personifications
  plural

1. the attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure.

2. the representation of a thing or abstraction in the form of a person, as in art.

3. the person or thing embodying a quality or the like; an embodiment or incarnation.

   He is the personification of tact.

4. an imaginary person or creature conceived or figured to represent a thing or abstraction.

5. the act of personifying; the attributing of human qualities to an animal, object, or abstraction.

   The author's personification of the farm animals made for an enchanting children's book.

6. a character portrayal or representation in a dramatic or literary work.

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personification British  

/ pɜːˌsɒnɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. the attribution of human characteristics to things, abstract ideas, etc, as for literary or artistic effect

2. the representation of an abstract quality or idea in the form of a person, creature, etc, as in art and literature

3. a person or thing that personifies

4. a person or thing regarded as an embodiment of a quality

   he is the personification of optimism

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonpersonification
  noun
• personificator
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• personifications
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of personification

First recorded in 1745–55; personi(fy) + -fication

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Explanation

Personification means "giving human qualities to an abstract idea," as in a movie villain who is the personification of evil. You can use the noun personification in two ways. In the first, a person who is known for a certain quality, like wisdom, is said to represent that quality in a way any can understand, like a patient, generous person who is the personification of kindness. On the other hand, personification can give human qualities to something that isn’t human. For example, you might say, “The sea is angry,” assigning it a human emotion.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

personification personifications

Often described as monstrous, irredeemable from the crib and the personification of malice, Cathy is both Eve and serpent in Steinbeck’s heavy-handed biblical allegory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

"The personification of the club with two of the most senior figures in Abu Dhabi make it likely that the leadership in the UAE will take the ruling very personally," said Ulrichsen.

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

“He’s the personification of the U.S. military, the human representative of everyone who wears the uniform and their families.”

From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2026

They felt similarly about Hello Kitty; with little identifying features or dialogue of their own, the characters were blank canvases for their own personification.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025

With his gentle demeanor, Gandhi seemed the very personification of nonviolence, and he insisted that the campaign be run along identical lines to that of his father’s in India.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Veiled women became a visible symbol of the government’s level of control over society — black-clad personifications of state power.

From New York Times ● Oct. 5, 2022

Neither of the Haywoods feel quite like “real” people but rather like heightened personifications of artists hungry to become part of the movie-making business — no matter the cost.

From The Verge ● Jul. 21, 2022

Surrounding Usher are personifications of his inner voices, six taunting denizens of his psyche that nag and mock, undermine and throw shade.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2022

It's about Dream, one of several immortal siblings who are anthropomorphic personifications of different aspects of the human condition.

From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2022

They were the male and female personifications of the heavens.

From The Old Testament In the Light of The Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and Babylonia by Theophilus Goldridge Pinches

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