personal effects

plural noun

: privately owned items (such as clothing and jewelry) normally worn or carried on the person

Examples of personal effects in a Sentence

put all of your personal effects in the bin so that they can be x-rayed
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Additionally, an auction of the producer’s personal effects that happened last October in Stockholm raised $750,000 for the Tim Bergling Foundation, which works to educate young people about mental health. Katie Bain, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024 The sale was made up of 267 items, including shoes, instruments, clothing and other personal effects related to Avicii’s career in music. Katie Bain, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2024 King’s camp and personal effects were discovered Saturday evening, leading to a larger operation Sunday involving 20 ground searchers, two helicopters, unmanned air systems and a search dog team, the park service said. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024 The trunk is equipped with the same woven cotton straps as the original, which can be used to secure a traveler’s personal effects. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for personal effects 

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of personal effects was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near personal effects

Cite this Entry

“Personal effects.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/personal%20effects. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

personal effects

plural noun
: privately owned items (as clothing or jewelry) normally worn or carried on the person
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!