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personality

noun
per·​son·​al·​i·​ty | \ ˌpər-sə-ˈna-lə-tē How to pronounce personality (audio) , ˌpər-ˈsna-\
plural personalities

Definition of personality

1a : the quality or state of being a person
b : personal existence
2a : the condition or fact of relating to a particular person specifically : the condition of referring directly to or being aimed disparagingly or hostilely at an individual
b : an offensively personal remark angrily resorted to personalities
3a : the complex of characteristics that distinguishes an individual or a nation or group especially : the totality of an individual's behavioral and emotional characteristics
b : a set of distinctive traits and characteristics the energetic personality of the city
4a : distinction or excellence of personal and social traits also : a person having such quality
b : a person of importance, prominence, renown, or notoriety a TV personality
Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about personality

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Choose the Right Synonym for personality

disposition, temperament, temper, character, personality mean the dominant quality or qualities distinguishing a person or group. disposition implies customary moods and attitude toward the life around one. a cheerful disposition temperament implies a pattern of innate characteristics associated with one's specific physical and nervous organization. an artistic temperament temper implies the qualities acquired through experience that determine how a person or group meets difficulties or handles situations. a resilient temper character applies to the aggregate of moral qualities by which a person is judged apart from intelligence, competence, or special talents. strength of character personality applies to an aggregate of qualities that distinguish one as a person. a somber personality

Examples of personality in a Sentence

He has a very pleasant personality. We all have different personalities. The psychiatrist considered behavior as well as personality before prescribing a treatment. He has lots of personality. He wants to buy a car that has personality. She has met many television personalities. He was an influential personality in genetic engineering.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Vaguely, the reader comes to see the writer as nothing more than one of his or her own characters; the suspicion that literature occurs entirely within the bounds of personality is confirmed. — Rachel Cusk, The New Yorker, "Françoise Sagan, the Great Interrogator of Morality," 21 Aug. 2019 The writing, however, is crisp, clean and confident, driven by the force of Jensen's personality. — Robert Anglen, azcentral, "In 'Chase Darkness with Me,' Billy Jensen teaches you how to solve murders," 20 Aug. 2019 Why might the name of a person suggest different kinds of personality? — David Sidhu, Quartz, "How the sound of your name shapes the way people think about you," 19 Aug. 2019 Peña had never seen the more joyous side of his personality. — Melissa Del Bosque, ProPublica, "The Case That Made an Ex-ICE Attorney Realize the Government Was Relying on False “Evidence” Against Migrants," 13 Aug. 2019 More than mere transport, cars can become extensions of one's personality—think of stereotypes about drivers of a particular model like a Corvette, for instance. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "Geeky license plate earns hacker $12,000 in parking tickets," 13 Aug. 2019 Roberts likened him to Rich Hill, famous for his polar opposite personalities on start days compared to every other day. — Jack Harriswriter, Los Angeles Times, "Red alert: Dodgers rookie starter Dustin May turns fiery on days he pitches," 12 Aug. 2019 Nor, despite the contrast in their characters, was there a clash of personalities. — The Economist, "The surprising departure of HSBC’s chief executive," 8 Aug. 2019 They are assumed to have scorned personal glory and lived only for service to the city-state, despite the fact that famous Spartans commissioned poetry, statues, and even festivals in their own honor and deliberately built cults of personality. — Myke Cole, The New Republic, "The Sparta Fetish Is a Cultural Cancer," 1 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'personality.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of personality

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for personality

Middle English personalite, from Anglo-French personalité, from Late Latin personalitat-, personalitas, from personalis

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More Definitions for personality

personality

noun
How to pronounce personality (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of personality

: the set of emotional qualities, ways of behaving, etc., that makes a person different from other people
: attractive qualities (such as energy, friendliness, and humor) that make a person interesting or pleasant to be with
: attractive qualities that make something unusual or interesting

See the full definition for personality in the English Language Learners Dictionary

personality

noun
per·​son·​al·​i·​ty | \ ˌpər-sə-ˈna-lə-tē How to pronounce personality (audio) \
plural personalities

Kids Definition of personality

1 : the qualities (as moods or habits) that make one human being different from others She has a cheerful personality.
2 : a human being's pleasing or interesting qualities He doesn't have much personality.
3

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