persona
[ per-soh-nuh ]
/ pərˈsoʊ nə /
noun, plural per·so·nae [per-soh-nee] /pərˈsoʊ ni/, per·so·nas.
a person.
personae, the characters in a play, novel, etc.
the narrator of or a character in a literary work, sometimes identified with the author.
(in the psychology of C. G. Jung) the mask or façade presented to satisfy the demands of the situation or the environment and not representing the inner personality of the individual; the public personality (contrasted with anima).
a person's perceived or evident personality, as that of a well-known official, actor, or celebrity; personal image; public role.
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
personality, case, customer, oddball, freak, figure, oddity, eccentric, nut, queer, personage, clown, crank, spook, weirdo, original, card, duck, zombie, wack
Nearby words
- person of color,
- person of colour,
- person-day,
- person-to-person,
- person-year,
- persona grata,
- persona non grata,
- personable,
- personae,
- personage
Origin of persona
in propria persona
[ in proh-pree-uh per-soh-nuh ]
/ ɪn ˈproʊ pri ə pərˈsoʊ nə /
adverb Law.
represented by oneself and not by an attorney. Abbreviation: in pro. per.
Origin of in propria persona
1645–55; < Latin: in one's own person
persona grata
[ per-soh-nah grah-tah; English per-soh-nuh grah-tuh, grey-tuh, grat-uh ]
/ pɛrˈsoʊ nɑ ˈgrɑ tɑ; English pərˈsoʊ nə ˈgrɑ tə, ˈgreɪ tə, ˈgræt ə /
noun, plural per·so·nae gra·tae [per-soh-nahy grah-tahy; English per-soh-nee grah-tee, grey-, grat-ee] /pɛrˈsoʊ naɪ ˈgrɑ taɪ; English pərˈsoʊ ni ˈgrɑ ti, ˈgreɪ-, ˈgræt i/. Latin.
an acceptable person, especially a diplomatic representative acceptable to the government to which he or she is accredited.
Compare persona non grata.
persona non grata
[ per-soh-nah nohn grah-tah; English per-soh-nuh non grah-tuh, grey-, grat-uh ]
/ pɛrˈsoʊ nɑ noʊn ˈgrɑ tɑ; English pərˈsoʊ nə nɒn ˈgrɑ tə, ˈgreɪ-, ˈgræt ə /
noun, plural per·so·nae non gra·tae [per-soh-nahy nohn grah-tahy; English per-soh-nee non grah-tee, grey-, grat-ee] /pɛrˈsoʊ naɪ noʊn ˈgrɑ taɪ; English pərˈsoʊ ni nɒn ˈgrɑ ti, ˈgreɪ-, ˈgræt i/. Latin.
a person who is not welcome: He has become persona non grata in our club since his angry outburst.
a diplomatic representative unacceptable to an accrediting government.
Compare persona grata.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for persona
persona
/ (pɜːˈsəʊnə) /
noun plural -nae (-niː)
(often plural) a character in a play, novel, etc
an assumed identity or character
(in Jungian psychology) the mechanism that conceals a person's true thoughts and feelings, esp in his adaptation to the outside world
Word Origin for persona
Latin: mask
in propria persona
/ Latin (ɪn ˈprəʊprɪə pɜːˈsəʊnə) /
adverb
mainly law in person; personally
persona grata
/ Latin (pɜːˈsəʊnə ˈɡrɑːtə) /
noun plural personae gratae (pɜːˈsəʊniː ˈɡrɑːtiː)
an acceptable person, esp a diplomat acceptable to the government of the country to which he or she is sent
persona non grata
/ Latin (pɜːˈsəʊnə nɒn ˈɡrɑːtə) /
noun plural personae non gratae (pɜːˈsəʊniː nɒn ˈɡrɑːtiː)
an unacceptable or unwelcome person
a diplomatic or consular officer who is not acceptable to the government or sovereign to whom he or she is accredited
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
persona
1917, "outward or social personality," a Jungian psychology term, from Latin persona "person" (see person). Used earlier (1909) by Ezra Pound in the sense "literary character representing voice of the author." Persona grata is Late Latin, literally "an acceptable person," originally applied to diplomatic representatives acceptable to the governments to which they were sent; hence also persona non grata (plural personæ non gratæ).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
persona
[ pər-sō′nə ]
n. pl. per•so•nas
The role that one assumes or displays in public or society; one's public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
persona non grata
[ (puhr-soh-nuh non grah-tuh, grat-tuh) ]
A person who is no longer favored or welcome: “After my angry words with the manager, I am persona non grata at the video store.” From Latin, meaning “an unacceptable person.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.