of, pertaining to, or coming as from a particular person; individual; private: a personal opinion.
2.
relating to, directed to, or intended for a particular person: a personal favor; one's personal life; a letter marked “Personal.”
3.
intended for use by one person: a personal car.
4.
referring or directed to a particular person in a disparaging or offensive sense or manner, usually involving character, behavior, appearance, etc.: personal remarks.
5.
making personal remarks or attacks: to become personal in a dispute.
6.
done, carried out, held, etc., in person: a personal interview.
7.
pertaining to or characteristic of a person or self-conscious being: That is my personal belief.
8.
of the nature of an individual rational being.
9.
pertaining to the body, clothing, or appearance: personal cleanliness.
10.
provided for one's discretionary use: Employees are allowed 15 vacation days and two personal days.
11.
Grammar.
a.
noting person: In Latin portō “I carry,” -ō is a personal ending.
b.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the personal pronoun.
12.
Law. of or pertaining to personal property: personal interests.
–noun
13.
Journalism.
a.
a short news paragraph in a newspaper concerning a particular person, as one who is socially prominent, or a group of particular persons who are socially prominent.
b.
a brief, private notice in a newspaper or magazine, often addressed to a particular person and typically bearing an abbreviated salutation and signature to preserve its confidentiality, usually printed in a special part of the classified advertising section.
c.
a similar notice placed by a person seeking companionship, a spouse, etc.
d.
Usually, personals.a column, page, or section of a newspaper, magazine, etc., featuring such notices or items.
[Origin: 1350–1400; ME < LL persōnālis.See person, -al1]
1387, "pertaining to the self," from O.Fr. personel (12c., Fr. personnel), from L. personalis "pertaining to a person," from persona (see person). Meaning "aimed at some particular person" (usually in a hostile manner) first attested 1614. The noun sense of "newspaper item about private matters" is attested from 1888. As "a classified ad addressed to an individual," it is recorded from 1861. Personal computer is from 1976.
concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality; "a personal favor"; "for your personal use"; "personal papers"; "I have something personal to tell you"; "a personal God"; "he has his personal bank account and she has hers" [ant: cloud]
2.
particular to a given individual
3.
of or arising from personality; "personal magnetism"
4.
intimately concerning a person's body or physical being; "personal hygiene"
Im*per"son*al\, a. [L. impersonalis; pref. im- not + personalis personal: cf. F. impersonnel. See Personal.] Not personal; not representing a person; not having personality. An almighty but impersonal power, called Fate. --Sir J. Stephen. Impersonal verb (Gram.), a verb used with an indeterminate subject, commonly, in English, with the impersonal pronoun it; as, it rains; it snows; methinks (it seems to me). Many verbs which are not strictly impersonal are often used impersonally; as, it goes well with him.
Per"son*al\, a. [L. personalis: cf. F. personnel.]1. Pertaining to human beings as distinct from things. Every man so termed by way of personal difference. --Hooker. 2. Of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals; peculiar or proper to private concerns; not public or general; as, personal comfort; personal desire. The words are conditional, -- If thou doest well, -- and so personal to Cain. --Locke. 3. Pertaining to the external or bodily appearance; corporeal; as, personal charms. --Addison. 4. Done in person; without the intervention of another. "Personal communication." --Fabyan. The immediate and personal speaking of God. --White. 5. Relating to an individual, his character, conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive manner; as, personal reflections or remarks. 6. (Gram.) Denoting person; as, a personal pronoun. Personal action (Law), a suit or action by which a man claims a debt or personal duty, or damages in lieu of it; or wherein he claims satisfaction in damages for an injury to his person or property, or the specific recovery of goods or chattels; -- opposed to real action. Personal equation. (Astron.) See under Equation. Personal estate or property (Law), movables; chattels; -- opposed to real estate or property. It usually consists of things temporary and movable, including all subjects of property not of a freehold nature. Personal identity (Metaph.), the persistent and continuous unity of the individual person, which is attested by consciousness. Personal pronoun (Gram.), one of the pronouns I, thou, he, she, it, and their plurals. Personal representatives (Law), the executors or administrators of a person deceased. Personal rights, rights appertaining to the person; as, the rights of a personal security, personal liberty, and private property. Personal tithes. See under Tithe. Personal verb (Gram.), a verb which is modified or inflected to correspond with the three persons.
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