personification
Americannoun
-
the attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure.
-
the representation of a thing or abstraction in the form of a person, as in art.
-
the person or thing embodying a quality or the like; an embodiment or incarnation.
He is the personification of tact.
-
an imaginary person or creature conceived or figured to represent a thing or abstraction.
-
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.
-
a character portrayal or representation in a dramatic or literary work.
noun
-
the attribution of human characteristics to things, abstract ideas, etc, as for literary or artistic effect
-
the representation of an abstract quality or idea in the form of a person, creature, etc, as in art and literature
-
a person or thing that personifies
-
a person or thing regarded as an embodiment of a quality
he is the personification of optimism
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing personification
Some Helpful Poetry Terms
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Literary Devices & Figures of Speech - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Poetry: Literary Devices
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Instead, Altman has increasingly become the personification of AI technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 3, 2026
“He’s the personification of the U.S. military, the human representative of everyone who wears the uniform and their families.”
From Salon ● Apr. 11, 2026
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
They felt similarly about Hello Kitty; with little identifying features or dialogue of their own, the characters were blank canvases for their own personification.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
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
I think of these objects as personifications, as having the capacity to be storytellers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2022
The Endless, anthropomorphized personifications of human ideas, beliefs and states of being, already serves as a fountainhead of clever metaphorical narratives.
From New York Times ● Aug. 4, 2022
Neither of the Haywoods feel quite like “real” people but rather like heightened personifications of artists hungry to become part of the movie-making business — no matter the cost.
From The Verge ● Jul. 21, 2022
It's about Dream, one of several immortal siblings who are anthropomorphic personifications of different aspects of the human condition.
From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2022
From this it would seem that some personifications were easier to expel than others.
From The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 4 (of 12) Dresden Edition?Lectures by Ingersoll, Robert Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
