personality

[ pur-suh-nal-i-tee ]

/ ˌpɜr səˈnæl ɪ ti /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR personality 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.

Nearby words

personal trainer, personal watercraft, personal-opinion telegram, personalia, personalism, personality, personality cult, personality disorder, personality formation, personality inventory, personality profile

Origin of personality

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

Synonym study

1. See character.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for personality

And, especially when it comes to the middle, personality counts.
Why This Liberal Hearts Huckabee|Sally Kohn|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“We won the war,” the Fox News personality proclaimed last week.
Why I’m for the War on Christmas|Asawin Suebsaeng|December 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Depending on what parts of the brain are impacted, the person can develop forms of dementia and personality changes.
Understanding Tracy Morgan’s Traumatic Brain Injury|Jean Kim|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That personality is not conducive to getting things done in Washington, at least not the Washington of today.
From POTUS to SCOTUS: Obama’s Big Move?|Keli Goff|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

They may be the product of a strong personality, but they do not depend in any way on the cult of personality for their power.
Digging the Gold in Dylan’s ‘Basement’|Malcolm Jones|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They are quick to discriminate the main lines and the distinguishing traits of personality.
Literature in the Elementary School|Porter Lander MacClintock
Circumstances and even accidents have their part to play, but in the main it is personality that determines the event.
The History of the Confederate War, Its Causes and Its Conduct, Volume I (of 2)|George Cary Eggleston
But there is no book to which a reader can turn for a fairly full account of his achievements, and an estimate of his personality.
The Life of Captain Matthew Flinders|Ernest Scott
The republic was possible with MacMahon, for after all he was a personality.
France and the Republic|William Henry Hurlbert
It is the personality of the mistress that the home expresses.
The House in Good Taste|Elsie de Wolfe

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

Word Origin and History for personality

personality

late 14c., "quality or fact of being a person," from Medieval Latin personalitatem (nominative personalitas), from Late Latin personalis (see personal). Sense of "a distinctive character" is first recorded 1795, from French personnalité.

Personality is the supreme realization of the innate idiosyncrasy of a living being. It is an act of courage flung in the face of life, the absolute affirmation of all that constitutes the individual, the most successful adaptation to the universal conditions of existence, coupled with the greatest possible freedom of self-determination. [C.G. Jung, 1875-1961]

Meaning "person whose character stands out from that of others" is from 1889. Personality cult is attested from 1956.

Medicine definitions for personality

personality

[ pûr′sə-năl′ĭ-tē ]

n.

The quality or condition of being a person.

The totality of qualities and traits, as of character or behavior, that are peculiar to a specific person.

The pattern of collective character, behavioral, temperamental, emotional, and mental traits of a person.

Distinctive qualities of a person, especially those personal characteristics that make one socially appealing.

Culture definitions for personality

personality

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

personality

noun, plural per·son·al·i·ties.

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Nearby words

Origin of personality

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for personality

British Dictionary definitions for personality

personality

noun plural -ties

Word Origin and History for personality

personality

Medicine definitions for personality

personality

n.

Culture definitions for personality

personality