impersonality

American  

[im-pur-suh-nal-i-tee] / ɪmˌpɜr səˈnæl ɪ ti /

noun

plural

impersonalities

1. absence of human character or of the traits associated with the human character.

   He feared the impersonality of a mechanized world.

2. absence or reduction of concern for individual needs or desires.

   the impersonality of a very large institution.

3. lack of emotional involvement.

   His work reflected a certain impersonality.

4. lack of a personal agent or of a known personal agent.

   the impersonality of folk art.

5. the quality of not being concerned with particular persons.

   the impersonality and universality of his interests.

6. something that is impersonal.

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Etymology

Origin of impersonality

First recorded in 1760–70; impersonal + -ity

Example Sentences

The routines are both highly personal and one-size-fits-all, with an odd exchange between intimacy and impersonality; someone invites you into her day, but mostly to show you how yours might be lived better.

From New York Times • Jan. 5, 2022

The dark impersonality of these elements provides dramatic contrast for the fleshy, breathing vivacity of the subject’s carefully modeled head.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2019

Peck’s ballets do feel classical, in the sense that they have a certain formality and impersonality about them; they’re not gushy or overly emotive.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 29, 2019

Though he was polite, his response highlighted the crushing impersonality of bureaucracies, telling us the guards were not advised of the activities of “tenant agencies.”

From Slate • Jun. 28, 2018

Innumeracy and the Tendency to Personalize One important such factor is the impersonality of mathematics.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos