/ ˌpɜːsəˈnæləti; NAmE ˌpɜːrs-/ noun ( pl. -ies )
1.
[ C , U ] the various aspects of a person's character that combine to make them different from other people :
His wife has a strong personality.
The children all have very different personalities.
He maintained order by sheer force of personality.
There are likely to be tensions and personality clashes in any social group.
2.
[ U ] the qualities of a person's character that make them interesting and attractive :
We need someone with lots of personality to head the project.
3.
[ C ] a famous person, especially one who works in entertainment or sport
SYN celebrity :
personalities from the world of music
a TV / sports personality
4.
[ C ] a person whose strong character makes them noticeable :
Their son is a real personality.
5.
[ U ] the qualities of a place or thing that make it interesting and different
SYN character :
The problem with many modern buildings is that they lack personality.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (referring to the fact of being a person rather than an animal or thing): from Old French personalite , from medieval Latin personalitas , from Latin personalis of a person, from persona actor's mask, character in a play, later human being. Senses 1 and 2 date from the late 18th cent.