- [usually before noun] your own; not belonging to or connected with anyone else
- The novel is written from personal experience.
- a personal account of her experiences
- personal effects/belongings/possessions
- I take personal responsibility for the incident.
- Of course, this is just a personal opinion.
- a personal preference/view
- Her art is deeply personal.
- intensely/highly personal
- I need my own personal space.
- The software is for personal use only (= no one else can use it).
Extra Examples- The movie is a uniquely personal exploration of the effects of war.
- The receptionist asked for my personal details.
- They packed up their personal belongings and left.
- Use stencils to add a few personal touches to walls and furniture.
- He was popular as much for his personal qualities as for his management skills.
- Drawing is an intensely personal art form.
- This song is a personal favourite of mine.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- seem
- …
- deeply
- intensely
- purely
- …
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- [only before noun] between individual people who know each other
- Having good personal relationships is the most important thing for me.
- She is a personal friend of mine.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- seem
- …
- deeply
- intensely
- purely
- …
- connected with a person’s private life, rather than their job or official position
- I try not to let work interfere with my personal life.
- personal information/data/details (= information about you that not everyone can know)
- The letter was marked ‘Personal’.
- I'd like to talk to you about a personal matter.
- Please keep personal phone calls to a minimum.
- I'd rather not talk about it, it's personal.
- He moved to San Francisco for personal reasons.
Extra Examples- This is a strictly personal decision.
- The views expressed here are purely personal.
- It felt too personal to tell you.
- highly personal information
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- seem
- …
- deeply
- intensely
- purely
- …
- [only before noun] done by a particular person rather than by somebody who is acting for them
- The President made a personal appearance at the event.
- I shall give the matter my personal attention.
- She takes a personal interest in the work of the charity.
- The Principal has little personal contact with the students.
- [only before noun] made or done for a particular person rather than for a large group of people or people in general
- We offer a personal service to all our customers.
- a personal pension plan (= a pension organized by a private company for one particular person)
- Will you do it for me as a personal favour?
- referring to a particular person’s character, appearance, opinions, etc. in a way that is offensive
- Try to avoid making personal remarks.
- I felt the criticism crossed the line and became a personal attack.
- Then he got personal and brought my family into it.
- It's nothing personal (= I do not wish to offend you) but I have to correct you on that point.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- seem
- …
- deeply
- intensely
- purely
- …
- [only before noun] connected with a person’s body
- personal cleanliness/hygiene
- She's always worrying about her personal appearance.
- This insurance policy covers you against personal injury or death.
your own
between individuals
private
done by person
done for person
offensive
connected with body
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French, from Latin personalis ‘of a person’, from persona ‘actor's mask, character in a play’, later ‘human being’.
Idioms
See personal in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee personal in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishup close and personal
- physically very close to somebody; getting to know them well
- Get up close and personal with the koalas at the San Diego Zoo.
- For the last 30 years, I’ve been up close and personal with people whose lives were in crisis.
Check pronunciation:
personal