personally

American  

[pur-suh-nl-ee] / ˈpɜr sə nl i /

adverb

1. through direct contact; in person; directly.

   I will thank him personally.

2. as if intended for or directed at one's own person.

   to take someone's comments personally.

3. as regards oneself.

   Personally, I don't care to go.

4. as an individual.

   to like someone personally, but not as an employer.

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personally British  

/ ˈpɜːsənəlɪ /

adverb

1. without the help or intervention of others

   I'll attend to it personally

2. (sentence modifier) in one's own opinion or as regards oneself

   personally, I hate onions

3. as if referring to oneself

   to take the insults personally

4. as a person

   we like him personally, but professionally he's incompetent

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Etymology

Origin of personally

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; personal + -ly

Explanation

When you do something personally, you do it yourself. If you promise you'll personally sell Girl Scout cookies to your neighbors, you can't just put flyers in their mailboxes or make your brother knock on their doors. Doing things personally means doing them in person, often not involving anyone else. If the grand prize of a contest involves your favorite movie star personally driving you around Hollywood in a Rolls Royce, it means she'll be the one behind the wheel. Another way to use this word is to mean "privately," as when someone's work life is great but they're really struggling personally. You can also use personally to refer to yourself: "Personally, I prefer vanilla ice cream."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

personally

Last week, we asked how you personally gauge the true state of China’s economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

So instead of taking it personally, take steps to understand your boss’s anxieties and get ahead of them.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

How is your family holding up, and how has the trial and conviction impacted you and your family personally?

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

"You will see a change in behaviour... a different consciousness. Something else takes over a person," Syquia said, noting he had personally exorcised a demon only a week earlier.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

Which I personally thought was close to showing off.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• directly
• individually
• privately