persona
noun
per·so·na
| \ pər-ˈsō-nə
, -ˌnä\
, -ˌnä\
plural personae\ pər-ˈsō-(ˌ)nē
, -ˌnī \
or personas
, -ˌnī \
or personas
Definition of persona
1
: a character assumed by an author in a written work
2a
plural personas
[ New Latin, from Latin ]
: an individual's social facade or front that especially in the analytic psychology of C. G. 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
His rise to infamy was aided by bizarre elements of his persona, unconventional lifestyle and large following, which was made up of mostly young women. — Cady Lang, Time, "The True Stories Behind the Serial Killers of Mindhunter Season 2," 22 Aug. 2019 There's a need to keep a distinctive self, a persona, separate. — Jason Parham, WIRED, "When Influencers Switch Platforms—and Bare It All," 19 Aug. 2019 But reading her stump speech as a purely didactic performance to carry her issues across to a mass public glosses over a key aspect of her political persona. — Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, "Arguing the World," 15 Aug. 2019 Gordon posts occasionally on Instagram, but that’s the extent of his public persona. — Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, "Where’s Josh Gordon? One man’s search for the would-be Patriots receiver," 11 Aug. 2019 Big Willie Robinson's Vietnam War service was central to his myth, and a major part of his persona. — Los Angeles Times, "Man and myth, Part II: A return to Brotherhood Raceway, and Big Willie Robinson’s legacy," 8 Aug. 2019 Of course, there is a downside to having your wardrobe be a large part of your public persona. — Alyssa Hardy, Teen Vogue, "We Need to Talk About Michelle Obama's Book Tour Outfits," 20 Dec. 2018 The transcendental mystique of Mr. Obama’s persona runs through his aides’ memoirs like a leitmotif. — Barton Swaim, WSJ, "Politics: End of the Rainbow," 5 July 2018 Bonding drunkenly with Tyler over a campfire, Zak dreams up his pro-wrestling persona: Peanut Butter Falcon. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "A Movie Star with Down Syndrome," 15 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'persona.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for persona
persona
noun
English Language Learners Definition of persona
: the way you behave, talk, etc., with other people that causes them to see you as a particular kind of person : the image or personality that a person presents to other people
See the full definition for persona in the English Language Learners Dictionary
persona
noun
per·so·na
| \ pər-ˈsō-nə, -ˌnä
\
\
plural personas
Medical Definition of persona
: an individual's social facade or front that especially in the analytic psychology of C. G. Jung reflects the role in life the individual is playing — compare anima sense 1
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