personality
Americannoun
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personalities
plural
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the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others.
He has a pleasing personality.
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a person as an embodiment of a collection of qualities.
He is a curious personality.
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Psychology.
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the sum total of the physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics of an individual.
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the organized pattern of behavioral characteristics of the individual.
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the quality of being a person; existence as a self-conscious human being; personal identity.
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the essential character of a person.
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something apprehended as reflective of or analogous to a distinctive human personality, as the atmosphere of a place or thing.
This house has a warm personality.
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a famous, notable, or prominent person; celebrity.
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application or reference to a particular person or particular persons, often in disparagement or hostility.
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a disparaging or offensive statement referring to a particular person.
The political debate deteriorated into personalities.
noun
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psychol the sum total of all the behavioural and mental characteristics by means of which an individual is recognized as being unique
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the distinctive character of a person that makes him socially attractive
a salesman needs a lot of personality
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a well-known person in a certain field, such as sport or entertainment
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a remarkable person
the old fellow is a real personality
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the quality of being a unique person
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the distinctive atmosphere of a place or situation
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(often plural) a personal remark
Synonym Usage
See character.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of personality
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English personalite, from Middle French, from Late Latin persōnālitās, from Latin persōnāl(is) personal + -itās -ity
Explanation
Your personality is what makes you "you" — the combination of characteristics that make you unique. Despite sharing some of the same genes, your siblings may have different personalities from you. You may be outgoing and upbeat, your sister may be quiet and reserved, and your brother may be a perennial pessimist. A personality can also refer to someone who is well known in a certain field — such as a sports or television personality.
Vocabulary lists containing personality
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Psychology
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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:
It's the 'public' Carrick, the level-headed personality which is so different to the volatility of former United boss Ruben Amorim, who brought headlines, but also extreme emotions to the Old Trafford dug-out.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
She uses a tongue-out emoji to show off her personality to employers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
In the coming season, Carson also revealed that she will hit the dance floor with comedian Guillermo Rodriguez, the Mexican talk show personality best known as a sidekick to Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
When he’s not getting into it with CNN personality Scott Jennings, the 23-year-old hosts the podcast The Adam Mockler Show and runs a popular YouTube channel.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
It has a chipped corner, and I like that; it gives this little shell some personality.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
Huge players and personalities have gone in the shape of Rodri, Bernardo Silva and John Stones, so there is a real sense of transition at Etihad Stadium.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Return-to-office mandates also have hiring managers more focused on candidates’ personalities.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
“And how do you let audiences see something different about these high-profile personalities than what they already think they know?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Tennis is a sport of eras, as Matthew Futterman emphasizes in “The Cruelest Game,” a snapshot of modern tennis and its leading personalities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Except in a story Homer and Hesiod tell, that Aglaia married Hephaestus, they are not treated as separate personalities, but always together, a triple incarnation of grace and beauty.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
