persona non grata

American  

[per-soh-nah nohn grah-tah, per-soh-nuh non grah-tuh, grey-, grat-uh] / pɛrˈsoʊ nɑ noʊn ˈgrɑ tɑ, pərˈsoʊ nə nɒn ˈgrɑ tə, ˈgreɪ-, ˈgræt ə /

noun

Latin.

personae non gratae plural

1. a person who is not welcome.

   He has become persona non grata in our club since his angry outburst.

2. a diplomatic representative unacceptable to an accrediting government.

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persona non grata British  

/ pɜːˈsəʊnə nɒn ˈɡrɑːtə /

noun

1. an unacceptable or unwelcome person

2. a diplomatic or consular officer who is not acceptable to the government or sovereign to whom he or she is accredited

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persona non grata Cultural  

1. A person who is no longer favored or welcome: “After my angry words with the manager, I am persona non grata at the video store.” From Latin, meaning “an unacceptable person.”

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• personae non gratae
  plural

Etymology

Origin of persona non grata

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

persona non grata

He may not quite be persona non grata there these days - he gave a speech at the Uefa Congress in February - but there is clear friction.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

Choi becoming persona non grata for pot hardly seemed fair in light of that horrifying revelation.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

Iran’s ambassador, Mohammad Reza Sheibani, is refusing to leave Beirut despite Lebanon’s foreign ministry declaring him persona non grata.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

It declared Basilio Gutierrez persona non grata but did not offer a specific reason for the decision.

From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026

Favored lackey one day, persona non grata the next.

From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix