persona

noun

per·​so·​na pər-ˈsō-nə 

-ˌnä

plural personae pər-ˈsō-(ˌ)nē 

-ˌnī

or personas

1

: a character assumed by an author in a written work

2

a

plural personas [New Latin, from Latin] : an individual's social facade or front that especially in the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung reflects the role in life the individual is playing compare anima

b

: the personality that a person (such as an actor or politician) projects in public : image

3

plural personae : a character in a fictional presentation (such as a novel or play)

—usually used in plural

comic personae

Examples of persona in a Sentence

His public persona is that of a strong, determined leader, but in private life he's very insecure.

The band takes on a whole new persona when they perform live.

Recent Examples on the Web

Organizations should focus on identifying distinct adoption personas—digital natives, tech adapters and cautious learners—and tailor their approach accordingly. —Holger Reisinger, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

This was the decade of his grandest experiments, a sweet spot where his mad genius persona could seemingly do no wrong. —Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025

Then, a full moon in Aquarius puts a spotlight on your career and public persona, forcing you to confront tensions between your ambitions and need for personal space. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025

The aircraft needed to be a showstopper that conveyed Hilton’s public persona while also retaining a practical interior for traveling with the couple’s young children. —Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1732, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing persona

• in propria persona
• persona grata
• persona non grata

Rhymes for persona

• annona
• bellona
• cardona
• cinchona
• kimono
• ramona
• belladonna
• desdemona
• bona
• dona
• jonah
• krona

Medical Definition

persona

noun

per·​so·​na pər-ˈsō-nə, -ˌnä 

plural personas

: an individual's social facade or front that especially in the analytical psychology of C. G. Jung reflects the role in life the individual is playing compare anima sense 1