Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

per·son·al       (pûr'sə-nəl)  Pronunciation Key  adj.   Of or relating to a particular person; private: "Like their personal lives, women's history is fragmented, interrupted" (Elizabeth Janeway). Done, made, or performed in person: a personal appearance. Done to or for or directed toward a particular person: a personal favor. Aimed pointedly at the most intimate aspects of a person, especially in a critical or hostile manner: an uncalled-for, highly personal remark. Tending to make remarks, or be unduly questioning, about another's affairs: As the student debate got heated, it got personal. Concerning a particular person and his or her private business, interests, or activities; intimate: I have something personal to tell you. Aimed pointedly at the most intimate aspects of a person, especially in a critical or hostile manner: an uncalled-for, highly personal remark. Tending to make remarks, or be unduly questioning, about another's affairs: As the student debate got heated, it got personal. Of or relating to the body or physical being: personal cleanliness. Relating to or having the nature of a person or self-conscious being: belief in a personal God. Law Relating to a person's movable property: personal possessions. Grammar Indicating grammatical person. n.   A personal item or notice in a newspaper. personals A column in a newspaper or magazine featuring personal notices.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
personal  (adj.)

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

personal
adjective
1.	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"
5.	indicating grammatical person; "personal verb endings"
noun
1.	a short newspaper article about a particular person or group

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law - Cite This Source - Share This
Main Entry: per·son·al
Function: adjective
1 : of, relating to, or affecting a person: as a : of, relating to, or based on the existence or presence of a person —see also PERSONAL INJURY personal jurisdiction at JURISDICTION b : of, relating to, or restricted to a natural person and his or her rights, obligations, affairs, assets, or lifetime personal information> personal recognizance>
2 : of, relating to, or constituting personal property <personal effects> —see also personal property at PROPERTY —compare REAL —per·son·al·ly adverb

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Personal

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.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Personal

Per"son*al\, n. (Law) A movable; a chattel.