personal

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpɜɹ.sə.nəl/ UK /ˈpɜː.sə.nəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #900

Meanings

1

adj
Belonging to or concerning one particular person.

She keeps her personal belongings in a locked drawer.
2

adj
Private and not meant to be shared with others.

He didn't want to discuss such personal matters at work.
3

adj
Relating to someone's body or physical care.

Personal hygiene is important when you work with food.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · private and not meant to be... private intimate

Word family

Forms personals

Derived forms antipersonalbipersonaldepersonalization depersonalizeextrapersonalfirst-personalfursonalhyperpersonalimpersonal interpersonalintrapersonalmonopersonal

Related forms personaliapersonality personally personnel

Appears in

Phrases (14)

See all

personal computer
a small computer designed and priced for use by an individual

Adjective + noun
personal information
data that relates to a specific individual and is considered private

Adjective + noun
personal letter
a private letter written to an individual, not official

Adjective + noun
personal care
assistance with an individual's basic daily tasks such as washing and dressing

Adjective + noun
personal contact
A direct, face-to-face or individual relationship rather than a formal or digital one

Adjective + noun
personal experience
something you know or have felt from your own life, not from books or others

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (2)

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Etymology

From Middle English personal, personele, from Anglo-Norman personel, personal, personell, Old French personal, personel, from Late Latin persōnālis (“of a person, personly”), equivalent to person + -al. Doublet of personnel.

personal Middle English personel xno persōnālis la-lat

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# personal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɜɹ.sə.nəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɜː.sə.nəl/
**Frequency rank:** 900

## Meanings
1. Belonging to or concerning one particular person.
2. Private and not meant to be shared with others.
3. Relating to someone's body or physical care.

## Examples
- She keeps her personal belongings in a locked drawer.
- He didn't want to discuss such personal matters at work.
- Personal hygiene is important when you work with food.

## Derived Forms
- antipersonal
- bipersonal
- depersonalization
- depersonalize
- extrapersonal
- first-personal
- fursonal
- hyperpersonal
- impersonal
- interpersonal
- intrapersonal
- monopersonal

## Related Forms
- personalia
- personality
- personally
- personnel

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: personal
- Root: personel
- Root: persōnālis
- Affix: -al - relating to

## Etymology
From Middle English personal, personele, from Anglo-Norman personel, personal, personell, Old French personal, personel, from Late Latin persōnālis (“of a person, personly”), equivalent to person + -al. Doublet of personnel.

## AI Etymology
Personal comes from Middle English personal, personele, from Anglo-Norman personel, personal, personell, Old French personal, personel, from Late Latin persōnālis (“of a person, personly”), equivalent to person + -al. Doublet of personnel. In present-day English it covers belonging to or concerning one particular person, private and not meant to be shared with others, and relating to someone's body or physical care. The wider family includes derived forms such as antipersonal, bipersonal, depersonalization, depersonalize, extrapersonal and related forms such as personalia, personality, personally, personnel.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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