personality

[ pur-suh-nal-i-tee ]
See synonyms for: personalitypersonalities on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural per·son·al·i·ties.
  1. the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others: He has a pleasing personality.

  2. a person as an embodiment of a collection of qualities: He is a curious personality.

  1. Psychology.

    • the sum total of the physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics of an individual.

    • the organized pattern of behavioral characteristics of the individual.

  2. the quality of being a person; existence as a self-conscious human being; personal identity.

  3. the essential character of a person.

  4. something apprehended as reflective of or analogous to a distinctive human personality, as the atmosphere of a place or thing: This house has a warm personality.

  5. a famous, notable, or prominent person; celebrity.

  6. application or reference to a particular person or particular persons, often in disparagement or hostility.

  7. a disparaging or offensive statement referring to a particular person: The political debate deteriorated into personalities.

Origin of personality

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English personalite, from Middle French, from Late Latin persōnālitās, from Latin persōnāl(is) personal + -itās -ity

synonym study For personality

1. See character.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use personality in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for personality

personality

/ (ˌpɜːsəˈnælɪtɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. psychol the sum total of all the behavioural and mental characteristics by means of which an individual is recognized as being unique

  2. the distinctive character of a person that makes him socially attractive: a salesman needs a lot of personality

  1. a well-known person in a certain field, such as sport or entertainment

  2. a remarkable person: the old fellow is a real personality

  3. the quality of being a unique person

  4. the distinctive atmosphere of a place or situation

  5. (often plural) a personal remark

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for personality

personality

The pattern of feelings, thoughts, and activities that distinguishes one person from another.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.