personable
Americanadjective
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having an agreeable or pleasing personality; affable; amiable; sociable.
-
of pleasing personal appearance; handsome or comely; attractive.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of personable
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at person, -able
Explanation
If you're personable, you're friendly and get along well with other people. Being personable is part of what makes you the star of the sales team — people just seem to like you. Someone who's personable can be outgoing, charming, nice, bubbly, amiable, pleasing, or generous, but he doesn’t have to be all of those things — it just all needs to add up to being pleasant. You may be pleasant but not bubbly, and that’s personable. In fact, if you're too bubbly, you might stop being personable and become annoying, which is not personable.
Vocabulary lists containing personable
Real Nice!
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My Side of the Mountain
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Unit 2, Whole-Class & Small-Group Learning
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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.
When these findings are presented in a warm and personable tone, they will erase the invisible boundaries between humans and unite us in our shared paths on this Earth.
From Salon • Jun. 28, 2026
Some of them are even attending classes to get better at being personable.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Those close to the squad have described Lampard as humble and knowledgeable - his personable nature took some players by surprise when he joined, given his decorated career.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
It works for her because it makes her very personable and makes her music all that more enjoyable because we feel like we’re actually experiencing her as a human being.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025
“Even though an automatic thank-you email is sent to donors,” Mrs. Smith said, “it just feels more personable to take the time to send an actual letter. Feels like the least I can do.”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
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.
