personally

American  

[pur-suh-nl-ee] / ˈpɜr sə nl i /

adverb

1. through direct contact; in person; directly.

   I will thank him personally.

2. as if intended for or directed at one's own person.

   to take someone's comments personally.

3. as regards oneself.

   Personally, I don't care to go.

4. as an individual.

   to like someone personally, but not as an employer.

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personally British  

/ ˈpɜːsənəlɪ /

adverb

1. without the help or intervention of others

   I'll attend to it personally

2. (sentence modifier) in one's own opinion or as regards oneself

   personally, I hate onions

3. as if referring to oneself

   to take the insults personally

4. as a person

   we like him personally, but professionally he's incompetent

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Etymology

Origin of personally

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; personal + -ly

Explanation

When you do something personally, you do it yourself. If you promise you'll personally sell Girl Scout cookies to your neighbors, you can't just put flyers in their mailboxes or make your brother knock on their doors. Doing things personally means doing them in person, often not involving anyone else. If the grand prize of a contest involves your favorite movie star personally driving you around Hollywood in a Rolls Royce, it means she'll be the one behind the wheel. Another way to use this word is to mean "privately," as when someone's work life is great but they're really struggling personally. You can also use personally to refer to yourself: "Personally, I prefer vanilla ice cream."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

personally

Zverev had personally guaranteed that the barren run for American men would stretch at least into 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

"We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans! I personally think it is >10% within the next decade," Hubinger said.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

“I personally think it is >10% within the next decade.”

From Slate ● Sep. 12, 2026

Convincing individuals of this, particularly those personally affected like the petitioning New Yorkers, will be the hardest part of moving forward.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

Hitler understood that a leader must reach the people personally.

From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Related Words

• directly
• individually
• privately