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

I personally regret not heading over to Scoops on Tap, where I could have ordered vegan lemon blueberry swirl and mint chip ice cream.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Zuckerberg subsequently recruited executives from rivals OpenAI, Anthropic and Google - often personally and at heady costs.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Headteacher Julia Polley said AI could give pupils more detailed feedback quickly and without any bias that a teacher might have by knowing the student personally.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

While you and your sibling would not necessarily be personally responsible for the debt, it would depend in the end on how your mom’s accounts are titled.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

No, Powell said, the doctor said he had to deliver it personally to the secretary of state and instruct him how to take the medicine.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Related Words

• directly
• individually
• privately