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Definition of impersonal adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

impersonal

adjective
 
/ɪmˈpɜːsənl/
 
/ɪmˈpɜːrsənl/
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  1. (usually disapproving) having no friendly human feelings or atmosphere; making you feel unimportant
    • a vast impersonal organization
    • an impersonal hotel room
    • Business letters need not be formal and impersonal.
    • a cold impersonal stare
    Extra Examples
    • I find the atmosphere there rather impersonal.
    • The law is abstract and coldly impersonal.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • seem
    • become
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    See full entry
  2. not referring to any particular person; not concerned with people as individuals
    • Let's keep the criticism general and impersonal.
    • His touch was as impersonal as that of a doctor.
    • You should write your report in an impersonal manner.
  3. (grammar) an impersonal verb or sentence has ‘it’ or ‘there’ as the subject
    Language Bank impersonalimpersonalGiving opinions using impersonal language
      • It is vital that more is done to prevent the illegal trade in wild animals.
      • (Compare: We have to do more to stop people trading wild animals illegally.)
      • It is clear that more needs to be done to protect biodiversity.
      • (Compare: We clearly need to do more to protect biodiversity.)
      • It is unfortunate that the practice of keeping monkeys as pets still continues.
      • (Compare: It’s absolutely terrible that people still keep monkeys as pets.)
      • It is difficult for many people to understand the reasons why certain individuals choose to hunt animals for sport.
      • (Compare: I can’t understand why anyone would want to kill animals for fun.)
      • Unfortunately, it would seem that not enough is being done to support tiger conservation.
      • (Compare: Governments aren’t doing enough to help tiger conservation.)
      • There is no doubt that the greatest threat to polar bears comes from global warming.
      • (Compare: I believe that the greatest threat…)
    language bank at opinion, perhaps, vital
  4. Word Originlate Middle English (in sense (3)): from late Latin impersonalis, from Latin in- ‘not’ + personalis ‘of a person’ (from persona ‘actor's mask, character in a play’, later ‘human being’).
See impersonal in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee impersonal in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English

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