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 intense color and ascetic impersonality of Herrera’s design, Carter’s lighting and the mysterious, splintering lines and tectonic shifts of Thorvaldsdottir’s music play equal roles with the dance in “Untitled.”

From New York Times • Jun. 11, 2023

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

It was only a matter of time before the humans swarmed upon it and began projecting our own fears of unpopularity and impersonality.

From Slate • Jul. 20, 2018

Their stories, filtered through Cusk’s coolly detached, narcotically gorgeous writing, attain a kind of exalted impersonality.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2018

The impersonality of the written word made it the easiest means of exchange.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez