personality

[ pur-suh-nal-i-tee ]

/ ˌpɜr səˈnæl ɪ ti /

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See synonyms for: personality / personalities on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural per·son·al·i·ties.

the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others: He has a pleasing personality.

a person as an embodiment of a collection of qualities: He is a curious personality.

Psychology.

the sum total of the physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics of an individual.
the organized pattern of behavioral characteristics of the individual.

the quality of being a person; existence as a self-conscious human being; personal identity.

the essential character of a person.

something apprehended as reflective of or analogous to a distinctive human personality, as the atmosphere of a place or thing: This house has a warm personality.

a famous, notable, or prominent person; celebrity.

application or reference to a particular person or particular persons, often in disparagement or hostility.

a disparaging or offensive statement referring to a particular person: The political debate deteriorated into personalities.

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Origin of personality

1350–1400; Middle English personalite (<Middle French ) <Late Latin persōnālitās.See personal, -ity

synonym study for personality

1. See character.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use personality in a sentence

She was the most unusual of reality TV personalities, and perhaps because of that, the best kind.
MTV’s Diem Brown Dies: When Reality TV Starts Getting Real|Kevin Fallon|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the rift was, not least, a matter of personalities and egos.
ISIS and Al Qaeda Ready to Gang Up on Obama's Rebels|Jamie Dettmer|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If you think about who did become stars, they were all personalities.
Nigel Lythgoe on How to Save Reality TV, ‘On the Town,’ and ‘Brokeback Ballroom’|Kevin Fallon|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As is the case with reality TV personalities, Phil Robertson is popular because of just that: he is a big personality.
Phil Robertson’s Despicable AIDS Argument Should Be the Last Straw|Kevin Fallon|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

TV personalities often give very little consideration to what happens after the dust settles from the strike.
Airstrikes Against ISIS Are Tactics. Here's a Strategy|Daniel L. Davis|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Directors were to us junior clerks, remote personalities, mythical beings dwelling on Olympian heights.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
Two personalities fought for possession of his soul, and he could not always keep back the lower of the two.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
There was a pause during which the men's eyes steadily searched down below the surface of their respective personalities.
Three More John Silence Stories|Algernon Blackwood
Involuntarily he develops two distinct personalities, and, lacking other subjects, one becomes the spy on the other.
Charles Baudelaire, His Life|Thophile Gautier
Many sculptors who were born outside of Virginia have used events and personalities of Virginia as their subjects.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey

British Dictionary definitions for personality

personality

/ (ˌpɜːsəˈnælɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

psychol the sum total of all the behavioural and mental characteristics by means of which an individual is recognized as being unique

the distinctive character of a person that makes him socially attractivea salesman needs a lot of personality

a well-known person in a certain field, such as sport or entertainment

a remarkable personthe old fellow is a real personality

the quality of being a unique person

the distinctive atmosphere of a place or situation

(often plural) a personal remark

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

Cultural definitions for personality

personality

The pattern of feelings, thoughts, and activities that distinguishes one person from another.

personality

Origin of personality

synonym study for personality

Words related to personality

How to use personality in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for personality

Cultural definitions for personality