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Synonyms

personal effects

American  

plural noun

  1. privately owned articles consisting chiefly of clothing, toilet items, etc., for intimate use by an individual.


Etymology

Origin of personal effects

First recorded in 1835–45

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.

See Examples For:

The biggest set is the interior of the police headquarters – an open-plan office with personal effects on each of the desks and boards of photographs and details of the fictional cases they're working on.

From BBC Aug. 26, 2026

When he was finally set free, the man was booted onto the street with no passport, driver’s license or other personal effects.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 19, 2026

After receiving the report from the mountaineers, officers reached the site by helicopter to collect the remains and personal effects from the Ober Gabelhorn glacier.

From Barron's Nov. 12, 2025

Ours is an era when every shred of ephemera is for sale, so why wouldn’t a mourning son attempt to liquidate a killer’s personal effects to claim compensation for his mother’s death?

From Salon Oct. 29, 2025

Towards the evening of that day, he was sitting outside the nest, repairing his torn haversack and taking stock of his personal effects.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

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