persona non grata
Americannoun
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personae non gratae
plural
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a person who is not welcome.
He has become persona non grata in our club since his angry outburst.
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a diplomatic representative unacceptable to an accrediting government.
noun
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an unacceptable or unwelcome person
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a diplomatic or consular officer who is not acceptable to the government or sovereign to whom he or she is accredited
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of persona non grata
First recorded in 1885–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As the mood of the nation sours on Silicon Valley’s vision for the future, Flock cameras and data centers have become persona non grata in several communities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The move prompted a furious reaction from the Peruvian government and triggered a diplomatic tit-for-tat, which included Peru's Congress voting to declare Sheinbaum persona non grata.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Choi becoming persona non grata for pot hardly seemed fair in light of that horrifying revelation.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
In a statement released on X on Tuesday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said the government was expelling Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Reza Shibani and declared him persona non grata.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026
Ladd Devine himself had never attended a session; and Horsethief Shorty Wilson was persona non grata because although everyone knew he cheated, nobody could catch him at it; hence, Shorty was impossible to beat.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
