Personal: Definition, Usage & Common Examples

Meaning 1：individual, private (personal)

personal 🔊

/ˈpɜːrsənl/

adj.

Belonging to or about one specific person, not shared with others.

Personal items illustration: hands holding a diary, keys, and phone

individual, private 🔊

➕

/ˈɪndɪˌvɪdʒuəl, ˈpraɪvɪt/

adj.

Describes something that is specific to or owned by a particular individual, not intended for public or shared use.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'personalis', from 'persona' (mask, character, person).

💡 Mnemonic

Your PERSON is at the center of what is PERSONAL to you.

📖 Example

Her desk at work is very tidy, and she keeps all her personal items, like family photos and a favorite mug, in one corner. 🔊 Her work desk is neat, with items like photos and her mug kept separately in her own space.

🔗 Collocations

personal belongings – Items that belong to a person.

personal space – The physical area surrounding a person that they regard as their own.

personal opinion – A view or judgment held by an individual.

🔄 Synonyms

individual (adj.) – Of or for a particular person; single and separate.

private (adj.) – Belonging to or for the use of one particular person or group only.

🚫 Antonyms

public (adj.) – Open to or concerning the people as a whole.

shared (adj.) – Used, possessed, or enjoyed by more than one person.

🌱 Derivatives

personally (adv.) – In a personal manner; from one's own viewpoint.

personality (n.) – The combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character.

📖 Cultural Story

Evolving from Latin 'persona' (theatre mask), the term shifted to mean the individual behind the mask, forming the basis for modern concepts of individual rights and private property.