personal
C1 (Very High Frequency)Formal, Informal, and Technical.
Definition
Meaning
belonging to or affecting a particular person rather than anyone else.
Related to the private aspects of a person's life; done or made by a particular individual; of or concerning a person's body; (of a remark) directed against a person rather than an argument.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
"Personal" primarily functions as an adjective. The meaning shifts along a continuum from 'private/individual' (e.g., personal belongings) to 'directly involving a specific person' (e.g., a personal visit) to 'offensively intrusive/critical' (e.g., a personal remark).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. Minor differences exist in phrasing (e.g., 'personal call' vs. 'private call' frequency) and in specific institutional titles.
Connotations
Slightly stronger association with 'privacy' in UK English in formal contexts. In US English, 'personal' in business (e.g., 'personal brand') is more marketing-oriented.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
personal + noun (e.g., personal opinion)be/become + personal (e.g., The debate got personal.)nothing/none of + personal (e.g., It's nothing personal.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “take it personally”
- “nothing personal”
- “get personal”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to individual employees (personal days), customer data (personal details), or individual effort (personal contribution).
Academic
Used to contrast subjective experience with objective data (personal narrative vs. statistical analysis). Often cautioned against in formal writing.
Everyday
Very common for discussing private life, possessions, feelings, and opinions.
Technical
In law: 'personal injury/effects'. In computing: 'personal data/device'. In HR: 'personal file/development'.
Examples
By Part of Speech
adjective
British English
- She keeps her personal and professional lives completely separate.
- He took the criticism as a personal insult.
- Please mark the envelope 'personal and confidential'.
American English
- She hired a personal trainer at the gym.
- That's my personal belief, not the company's policy.
- He made some very personal comments that were out of line.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- This is my personal bag.
- He has a personal computer.
- Please don't ask personal questions.
- I need to discuss a personal matter with you.
- She takes great pride in her personal appearance.
- The letter was marked 'personal'.
- The biography reveals many previously unknown personal details of the leader's life.
- She felt her personal space was being invaded.
- It's important to back up your personal data regularly.
- The journalist was accused of making unwarranted personal attacks rather than engaging with the argument.
- His philanthropic work was driven by a profound personal conviction.
- The law makes a clear distinction between corporate and personal liability.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a PERSON-AL locker. It belongs to that specific person, for their private things.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE SELF IS A CONTAINER (personal space, inner life); PRIVATE IS CLOSE TO THE BODY (personal belongings, personal hygiene).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using "personal" to mean "personnel" (персонал). That is a false friend. "Personal" is личный, персональный.
- Do not translate "in person" as "in personal". Use "лично".
- "Personal" does not mean "personable" (обаятельный).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: *I will come there personal. (Correct: ...in person.)
- Incorrect: *The company lacks good personal. (Correct: ...personnel.)
- Incorrect overuse in academic writing: *In my personal opinion... (Redundant; 'In my opinion' is sufficient.)
Practice
Quiz
In which sentence is 'personal' used to mean 'offensively directed at a particular individual'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is almost exclusively an adjective. The noun form is 'personnel' (meaning staff), which is a different word.
They are often synonyms. 'Personal' emphasizes belonging to/affecting a specific individual. 'Private' emphasizes being secluded from others or not for public knowledge. (e.g., 'personal opinion' is the opinion of an individual; 'private opinion' is one not publicly stated).
It's used to state that a criticism or action is not motivated by dislike for someone as an individual, but by objective reasons. E.g., 'I had to reject your proposal, nothing personal.'
No. It collocates strongly with nouns related to life, data, belongings, space, and experience. It sounds odd with abstract or general nouns (e.g., 'personal weather' is incorrect).
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