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.

---

Etymology

Origin of impersonality

First recorded in 1760–70; impersonal + -ity

Example Sentences

The effect is to emphasize the locations’ impersonality while also conveying a sense of intimacy.

From Washington Post • Oct. 27, 2021

They exude a kind of lushness, avoiding the brittle impersonality and formal melodrama often found in her paintings.

From New York Times • Jul. 29, 2021

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

It’s hard not to take things personally, even if the process traffics in a magical impersonality.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 8, 2018

He had been prepared to sacrifice his wife and his-best friend, to the impersonality of Justice.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White