personal: meaning, pronunciation and examples

/ˈpɝsənəl/·PUR-suh-nul

Personal (adjective) means belonging to or affecting one particular person, not others.

What does “personal” mean?

  1. 1

    adjectivebelonging to or affecting one particular person, not others

    Everyone has a personal locker at the gym.
  2. 2

    adjectiveabout your private life, feelings or relationships

    I’d rather not answer personal questions at work.

Personal at a glance

Part of speech
adjective
CEFR level
A2 (elementary)
Pronunciation
/ˈpɝsənəl/ · PUR-suh-nul

How to use “personal” correctly

Don’t confuse “personal” (PUR-suh-nul, about one person) with “personnel” (pur-suh-NEL, the staff of a company).

Common phrases with “personal”

  • personal life
  • personal information
  • personal experience
  • take it personally

Synonyms (similar meaning)

Antonyms (opposite meaning)

Word family

  • person
  • personally
  • personality
  • impersonal

“personal” is on these word lists

Learn these words next