adjective / noun
personal
PUR-suh-nul/ˈpɜːrsənl/
Relating to a particular individual's own life or body.
The diary and family photograph are personal possessions on the bedside table.
Etymology
Persona with the adjective ending gives “pertaining to a person.” In English, this connection to an individual includes what belongs to the self or private life, rather than people generally.
In context
… don't start spilling all the details about your personal life just so you can get the conversation flowing …
More examples
- Regular bathing is part of good personal hygiene.
- The owner makes a personal inspection before each delivery.
- Their disagreement turns personal when he insults her family.
- He places a personal in the newspaper seeking companionship.
Forms
personal · personals
personally adverb — By oneself rather than through someone else.
Similar words
- private
- Emphasizes matters kept from others, not merely individual concerns.
- individual
- Emphasizes one person as distinct from a group.
- bodily
- Refers specifically to the body, not someone's private affairs.