persona

American  

[per-soh-nuh] / pərˈsoʊ nə /

noun

personae, plural personas plural

1. a person.

2. personae, the characters in a play, novel, etc.

3. the narrator of or a character in a literary work, sometimes identified with the author.

4. (in the psychology of C. G. Jung) the mask or façade presented to satisfy the demands of the situation or the environment and not representing the inner personality of the individual; the public personality (contrasted with anima).

5. a person's perceived or evident personality, as that of a well-known official, actor, or celebrity; personal image; public role.

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persona British  

/ pɜːˈsəʊnə /

noun

1. (often plural) a character in a play, novel, etc

2. an assumed identity or character

3. (in Jungian psychology) the mechanism that conceals a person's true thoughts and feelings, esp in his adaptation to the outside world

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Usage

What does persona mean? A persona is the image or personality that a person presents in public or in a specific setting—as opposed to their true self. The word is especially used in the phrase public persona, referring to the personality that a person presents in public and that they are known for by most people. The term is usually used in reference to public figures, such as politicians and celebrities, to contrast with “what they’re really like.”For example, someone’s public persona might be outgoing and social, while their true personality is shy and reserved. Of course, it’s also possible that someone’s public persona matches their true personality. In psychology, the word persona refers to the identity that a person takes on to adapt to the outside world or to a certain situation—their “mask” or facade. In literature, persona refers to a character in a story, especially the narrator. Much less commonly, persona can simply refer to a person. The Latin term persona appears in the phrase persona non grata, referring to a person who is not welcome. The correct plural of persona can be personas or personae. (The plural ending -ae is used in other formal plurals of Latin-derived words, such as antennae—the plural of antenna.)Example: In public, Ahmad’s persona is that of a confident leader, but in private he’s timid and kind of insecure.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• personae
  plural
• personas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of persona

First recorded in 1905–10, persona is from the Latin word persōna mask, character. See person

Explanation

Your persona is the public image you present to the world. When T.S. Eliot wrote in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" about preparing "a face to meet the faces that you meet," he had the persona in mind. In ancient Latin the word persona meant "mask." The word also can refer to a character played by an actor. While a persona is not considered a lie or a falsehood, its meaning implies that it is only part of the truth. Like all masks, there is "real" person beneath. Often a performer will take on a persona to express certain parts of himself: the rapper Eminem also goes by the name Slim Shady to express his darker self.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

persona personae personas

He eventually spun this persona out for his political ambitions.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2026

Tom Homan has spent years constructing the persona of a man who never backs down.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

But Hao’s philosophy is all about creating a persona for his client that meets some media-approved standard of cool and follows a pop-psychological approach to dating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

Having grown up in L.A. himself, Guido talked about owning the persona of “Running Point” character Jackie Moreno: a concession-worker-turned-executive-assistant from Boyle Heights.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

But stripped of all the accoutrements, reduced to a gray shirt soaked with sweat, he had lost his persona.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger

“Like a Cat Loves a Bird” separates Spark’s character into 13 personae, each one highlighting an element of her writing that seems to color that part of her personality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

She might “create a new persona,” as she says on “I Feel So Free,” but even her personae are versions of her true self.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

The WFP said directors of its Sudan operation were declared "personae non grata" and told to go within 72 hours, without explanation.

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2025

The fantasy that every bad man would get his due, with the violent ones in jail and the manipulative ones made personae non grata, has not played out.

From Slate ● May 29, 2024

In the case of marrying, the dramatis personae include the person being married and the person doing the marrying.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Of course, there is something absurd about celebrity chefs needing fake mustaches, prosthetics or entire undercover personas to determine that a restaurant is poorly run.

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

Known for his signature "cop" and "admiral" stage personas, Willis left the group in 1980.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

While contemporary politics rewards visibility cultivated through social-media personas, some of the most enduring and influential forms of leadership operate indirectly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

Given the group’s commitment to costumed stage personas, the mixed sexuality of their members, and their name, the Village People came to represent the confluence of masculinity and queerness.

From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026

Harder even than Miig or Minerva; their personas were clear.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Related Words

• character
• identity
• personality