Dictionary.com
definitions

personify

[per-son-uh-fahy]
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR personify ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), per·son·i·fied, per·son·i·fy·ing.

to attribute human nature or character to (an inanimate object or an abstraction), as in speech or writing.
to represent (a thing or abstraction) in the form of a person, as in art.
to embody (a quality, idea, etc.) in a real person or a concrete thing.
to be an embodiment or incarnation of; typify: He personifies the ruthless ambition of some executives.
to personate.

RELATED CONTENT

Motherland vs. Fatherland
Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Do You Know When to Capitalize the Seasons?
As a general rule, when you’re using the name of a season in a sentence as a noun or an adjective, it shouldn’t be capitalized. There are only a few times when seasons should be capitalized, including when they’re used as proper nouns, when they start a sentence, when they’re used in titles, or when they’re personified. Seasons as Nouns or Adjectives When a season …
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

exemplify, incarnate, manifest, typify, epitomize, embody, symbolize, illustrate, materialize, copy, exteriorize, imitate, substantiate, image, express, externalize, humanize, impersonate, mirror, objectify

Origin of personify

1720–30; person + -ify; compare French personnifier, Italian personificare
Related formsper·son·i·fi·a·ble, adjectiveper·son·i·fi·ant, adjectiveper·son·i·fi·er, nounun·per·son·i·fied, adjectiveun·per·son·i·fy·ing, adjective

Synonyms for personify

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR personify ON THESAURUS.COM
4. represent, exemplify, incorporate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for personifies

Contemporary Examples of personifies

Historical Examples of personifies

British Dictionary definitions for personifies

personify

verb -fies, -fying or -fied (tr)

to attribute human characteristics to (a thing or abstraction)
to represent (an abstract quality) in human or animal form
(of a person or thing) to represent (an abstract quality), as in art or literature
to be the embodiment of
Derived Formspersonifiable, adjectivepersonifier, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for personifies

personify

v.

1727 "to attribute personal form to things or abstractions" (especially as an artistic or literary technique), from person + -fy or from French personnifier (17c.), from personne. Meaning "to represent, embody" attested from 1806. Related: Personified; personifying.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper