I. ˈpərs-nəl, ˈpər-sə-nəl adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French personel, from Late Latin personalis, from Latin persona
Date: 14th century
1. : of, relating to, or affecting a particular person : private , individual
personal ambition
personal financial gain
2.
a. : done in person without the intervention of another ; also : proceeding from a single person
b. : carried on between individuals directly
a personal interview
3. : relating to the person or body
4. : relating to an individual or an individual's character, conduct, motives, or private affairs often in an offensive manner
a personal insult
5.
a. : being rational and self-conscious
personal , responsive government is still possible — John Fischer
b. : having the qualities of a person rather than a thing or abstraction
a personal devil
6. : of, relating to, or constituting personal property
a personal estate
7. : denoting grammatical person
8. : intended for private use or use by one person
a personal stereo
II. noun
Date: 1861
1. : a short newspaper paragraph relating to the activities of a person or a group or to personal matters
2. : a short personal communication in a special column of the classified ads section of a newspaper or periodical
3. : personal foul