Meaning & use
personal
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Belonging to or concerning one particular person.
Grammar: Before a noun: personal belongings.
Patterns
- personal opinion
- personal belongings
Please keep your personal belongings with you.
That is my personal opinion.
She left a personal message.
adjectivecomparable
Private, relating to someone's own life or feelings.
Grammar: Can follow a verb: it's personal.
Patterns
- personal life
- personal question
He doesn't discuss his personal life.
It's a very personal matter.
That question is too personal.
adjectivebefore a noun
Done by a person directly instead of through someone else.
Grammar: Before a noun.
Patterns
- personal visit
- personal attention
The owner gave a personal apology.
He made a personal appearance.
adjectivecomparable
Aimed at someone's character in an unkind way.
Grammar: Often in: get personal, personal attack.
Patterns
- get personal
- personal remarks
Don't make personal remarks.
The argument got personal.
Common combinations
- personal information
- Don't share personal information.
- personal space
- Respect personal space.
- personal growth
- Travel aids personal growth.
- personal trainer
- She hired a personal trainer.
- personal attack
- A personal attack.
Synonyms and how they differ
- private
- Stresses not shared with others.
- individual
- Stresses one person among many.
- intimate
- Stresses closeness.
Opposites
Word family
- personally adverb
- in person; as for me
- personality noun
- a person's character
- impersonal adjective
- not showing personal feelings
Commonly confused: personal or personnel?
personal vs personnel
Personnel means the staff of an organization.
Practice
Which is a personal question?
Choose one answer.
Asking about salary is private.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “personal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.