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definitions

personal

[pur-suh-nl]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR personal ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

  1. a short news paragraph in a newspaper concerning a particular person, as one who is socially prominent, or a group of particular persons who are socially prominent.
  2. a brief, private notice in a newspaper or magazine, often addressed to a particular person, and typically bearing an abbreviated salutation and signature to preserve its confidentiality, usually printed in a special part of the classified advertising section.
  3. Also called personal ad.a similar notice, as in a newspaper or on a website, placed by a person seeking companionship, a spouse, etc.
  4. Usually personals.a column, page, or section, as of a newspaper, magazine, or website, featuring such notices or items.

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RELATED WORDS

secret, intimate, special, particular, exclusive, privy, own, peculiar, retired, secluded, claimed

Nearby words

  1. persona grata,
  2. persona non grata,
  3. personable,
  4. personae,
  5. personage,
  6. personal care,
  7. personal column,
  8. personal computer,
  9. personal day,
  10. personal digital assistant

Origin of personal

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word persōnālis. See person, -al1
Related forms
Can be confusedpersonal personnel (see usage note at personnel)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for personal

British Dictionary definitions for personal

personal

adjective

of or relating to the private aspects of a person's lifepersonal letters; a personal question
(prenominal) of or relating to a person's body, its care, or its appearancepersonal hygiene; great personal beauty
belonging to or intended for a particular person and no-one elseas a personal favour; for your personal use
(prenominal) undertaken by an individual himselfa personal appearance by a celebrity
referring to, concerning, or involving a person's individual personality, intimate affairs, etc, esp in an offensive waypersonal remarks; don't be so personal
having the attributes of an individual conscious beinga personal God
of or arising from the personalitypersonal magnetism
of, relating to, or denoting grammatical person
law of or relating to movable property, such as moneyCompare real 1 (def. 8)

noun

law an item of movable property
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
Word Origin and History for personal

personal

adj.

late 14c., "pertaining to the self," from Old French personal (12c., Modern French personnel), from Late Latin personalis "pertaining to a person," from Latin persona (see person). Meaning "aimed at some particular person" (usually in a hostile manner) first attested 1610s. The noun sense of "newspaper item about private matters" is attested from 1888. As "a classified ad addressed to an individual," it is recorded from 1861. Personal computer is from 1976.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper