1
: of, relating to, or affecting a particular person : private, individual
personal ambition
personal financial gain
2
a
: done in person without the intervention of another
also
: proceeding from a single person
b
: carried on between individuals directly
a personal interview
3
: relating to the person or body
4
: relating to an individual or an individual's character, conduct, motives, or private affairs often in an offensive manner
a personal insult
5
a
: being rational and self-conscious
personal, responsive government is still possible—
John Fischer
John Fischer
b
: having the qualities of a person rather than a thing or abstraction
a personal devil
6
: of, relating to, or constituting personal property
a personal estate
7
: denoting grammatical person
8
: intended for private use or use by one person
a personal stereo
1
: a short newspaper paragraph relating to the activities of a person or a group or to personal matters
2
: a short personal communication in a special column of the classified ads section of a newspaper or periodical
3
Synonyms
Examples of personal in a Sentence
Adjective
This is just my personal opinion.
I can only tell you what I know from personal experience.
He added his own personal touches to the recipe.
We don't accept personal checks.
He is a personal friend of mine.
She is always concerned about her personal appearance.
We provide each of our customers with personal service.
Golf is a personal interest of mine.
May I ask you a personal question?
That information is very personal, and you have no business asking about it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
Hold quarterly personal development planning sessions with your EA to set personal goals in areas like fitness, education or networking.
—Kenzie Biggins, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
Liam McNeeley and Solo Ball, the Huskies’ second- and third-leading scorers, plus starting center Samson Johnson each picked up two early personals.
—Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for personal 
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show current usage.
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Adjective
For instance, the top-of-page bid on Google Ads for the keyword ‘personal injury law firm’ ranges from $600 to $1000.
—Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 14 Dec. 2024
Hold quarterly personal development planning sessions with your EA to set personal goals in areas like fitness, education or networking.
—Kenzie Biggins, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
By making the political personal, Rasoulof warns us that repression starts at home.
—Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2024
Liam McNeeley and Solo Ball, the Huskies’ second- and third-leading scorers, plus starting center Samson Johnson each picked up two early personals.
—Brendan Marks, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for personal
Dictionary Entries Near personal
Cite this Entry
“Personal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
personal
1 of 2 adjective
per·son·al
ˈpərs-nəl 
-ᵊn-əl
1
: of, relating to, or belonging to a person : private
personal property
2
a
: done in person
b
: proceeding from or directed to a single person
c
: carried on between individuals directly
3
: relating to the person or body
your personal appearance
4
: closely related to an individual : intimate
5
: indicating grammatical person
personal
2 of 2 noun
: a short paragraph or ad in a newspaper relating to personal matters
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