personally

[pur-suh-nl-ee]

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.

personally

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of personally¹

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

Example Sentences

"We're the only sport to have a World Cup every year, which I personally think is too much."

From BBC

“We are personally contacting our politicians, as well as our organizations.”

From Salon

In the summer of 2023, she proposed a change that would allow government agencies to decline future public records requests that seek “images or data that may personally identify” employees.

From Los Angeles Times

Since 2022, Wintemute and his team have surveyed Americans on how they feel about political violence, including whether it is ever justified and, if so, whether they would personally get involved in it.

From Los Angeles Times

Commenting on that debacle, Harris wrote that “the stakes were simply too high” to have left the reelection decision to Joe and Jill Biden personally.

From Salon

Related Words

• directly 
• individually 
• privately www.thesaurus.com