personal

 
Pronunciation: /ˈpəːs(ə)n(ə)l/

adjective

  • 1 [attributive] belonging to or affecting a particular person rather than anyone else: her personal fortune was recently estimated at £37 million
  • done or made by a particular person; involving the actual presence or action of a particular individual: the President and his wife made personal appearances for the re-election of the state governor
  • 2of or concerning one’s private life, relationships, and emotions rather than one’s career or public life: the book describes his sporting career and gives little information about his personal life
  • referring to an individual’s character, appearance, or private life in an inappropriate or offensive way: he had the cheek to make personal remarks
  • 3relating to a person’s body: personal hygiene
  • 5 Theology existing as a self-aware entity, not as an abstraction or an impersonal force: he rejected the notion of a personal God

noun

(usually personals) chiefly North American
  • an advertisement or message in the personal column of a newspaper.

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin personalis 'of a person', from persona (see person)