What does "personal" mean?
An advertisement by which an individual attempts to meet others with similar interests.
Personal
/ˈpɜː.sə.nəl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An advertisement by which an individual attempts to meet others with similar interests.
- Grammar: personal is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: absolute, actual, adverse, anecdotal.
- Useful contrasts: common, automated, central government style.
- Usage evidence: Peter was an altruistic video game player; he would give items to people who needed them, rather than selling them for personal profit.
How to use "personal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "personal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "personal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "personal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "personal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "personal" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absolute" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "personal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An advertisement by which an individual attempts to meet others with similar interests. in-plural
- 2 a short newspaper article about a particular person or group wordnet
- 3 One's own property or asset
"1748, Tobias Smollett (translator), Alain-René Lesage (original), The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane In addition to this, a coarse shirt quite new, a pair of my father's shoes quite old, and, what rejoiced me more than all the rest, a rouleau of twenty rials in a linen rag. Behold the sum total of my personals."
Adjective
- 1 Pertaining to persons (human beings as opposed to things or animals).
- 2 Of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals
"personal values; personal desire"
- 3 Dealing with subjects about which one wishes (or people usually wish) to maintain privacy or discretion; not for public view; sensitive, intimate.
"personal reasons"
- 4 Intended for sexual use. euphemistic
"personal lubricant; personal massager"
- 5 Pertaining to the external or bodily appearance; corporeal; bodily.
"personal charms"
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Done in person; without an intermediary.
"a personal interview"
- 7 Relating to an individual, their character, conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive manner
"personal reflections or remarks"
- 8 Of a noun or pronoun, having reference particular to humans and other entities having personality such as a named animal, a deity, a personification, etc.
- 9 Related to grammatical first, second, etc. persons.
"a personal pronoun"
- 10 Denoting ownership.
"one's personal vehicle, as opposed to a company vehicle"
Adjective
- 1 concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality wordnet
- 2 intimately concerning a person's body or physical being wordnet
- 3 indicating grammatical person wordnet
- 4 of or arising from personality wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Peter was an altruistic video game player; he would give items to people who needed them, rather than selling them for personal profit."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "personal"?
Common synonyms include: absolute, actual, adverse, anecdotal, anecdotal data source, anecdotal evidence.
How do you use "personal" in a sentence?
Peter was an altruistic video game player; he would give items to people who needed them, rather than selling them for personal profit.
How do you pronounce "personal"?
Pronounced /ˈpɜː.sə.nəl/.
Etymology
From Middle English personal, personele, from Anglo-Norman personel, personal, personell, Old French personal, personel, from Late Latin persōnālis (“of a person, personly”), equivalent to person + -al. Doublet of personnel.