personification

American  

[per-son-uh-fi-key-shuhn] / pərˌsɒn ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure.

2. the representation of a thing or abstraction in the form of a person, as in art.

3. the person or thing embodying a quality or the like; an embodiment or incarnation.

   He is the personification of tact.

4. an imaginary person or creature conceived or figured to represent a thing or abstraction.

5. the act of personifying; the attributing of human qualities to an animal, object, or abstraction.

   The author's personification of the farm animals made for an enchanting children's book.

6. a character portrayal or representation in a dramatic or literary work.

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personification British  

/ pɜːˌsɒnɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. the attribution of human characteristics to things, abstract ideas, etc, as for literary or artistic effect

2. the representation of an abstract quality or idea in the form of a person, creature, etc, as in art and literature

3. a person or thing that personifies

4. a person or thing regarded as an embodiment of a quality

   he is the personification of optimism

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Other Word Forms

• nonpersonification noun
• personificator noun

Etymology

Origin of personification

First recorded in 1745–55; personi(fy) + -fication

Explanation

Personification means "giving human qualities to an abstract idea," as in a movie villain who is the personification of evil. You can use the noun personification in two ways. In the first, a person who is known for a certain quality, like wisdom, is said to represent that quality in a way any can understand, like a patient, generous person who is the personification of kindness. On the other hand, personification can give human qualities to something that isn’t human. For example, you might say, “The sea is angry,” assigning it a human emotion.

Example Sentences

John is the personification of Clough on the pitch, he played the way Clough wanted to play and knew exactly what Clough wanted.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

She said, “Social media is the absolute personification of the classic saying, ‘A lie travels halfway around the world before truth can get its boots on.’

From Salon • Dec. 23, 2024

When the personification of Mandrex asks her why she’s allowing him to make a film about the end of her life, Maria tells him that she wants an aria as part of her third act.

From Salon • Sep. 28, 2024

To the public, he is the chiseled personification of national virtue.

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024

His parents call him precocious; I looked it up, and it does not mean the personification of an earsplitting, nerve-jangling, head-pounding, exasperating plague that makes you long for deportation from your own country.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen