personality

Pronunciation

• IPA: UK /ˌpɜː.sənˈæl.ə.ti/, US /ˌpɝː.sənˈæl.ə.t̬i/^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English personalite,^[2][3] borrowed from Old French personalité,^[2][4] and directly from Medieval Latin persōnālitās,^[2][3] from Late Latin persōnālis “personal”,^[2][3] the source of personal.^[2][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The quality or fact of being a person: about 1380 in the OED, the late 14th century in Etymonline.^[5][2]

Semantic evolution

The theological sense, the Deity's consisting of distinct persons, is from 1492.^[5] A personal being, a person, is from 1678.^[5] The distinctive character of a self-conscious being, the qualities that make a person what he or she is, is recorded by 1795, from French personnalité.^[2][5] In psychology, the unique combination of qualities that marks an individual is from 1879,^[5] and a person who stands out, a celebrity, from 1889.^[5] The plural personalities, remarks about a person, especially disparaging ones, is from 1772.^[5]

Timeline

• c. 1380 – the quality of being a person.^[5]
• 1492 – in theology.^[5]
• 1772 – personal remarks.^[5]
• 1795 – a person's distinctive character.^[2][5]
• 1879 – in psychology.^[5]
• 1889 – a celebrity.^[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. The combination of qualities and traits of character and behaviour that make a person distinct.
2. Lively and attractive qualities of character: she has lots of personality.
3. A famous person, especially in entertainment or sport; a celebrity.
4. The quality or condition of being a person.
5. personalities: offensive personal remarks.

Word family

• tripersonality
• antisocial personality disorder
• cult of personality
• multiple personality
• multiple personality disorder
• personality disorder
• personality inventory
• personality test

Related words

• personal
• person
• personnel
• persona

Usage notes

Personality is often used in journalism to mean “celebrity”; the American Heritage notes that it suits someone famous for frequent appearances, such as a television host, but is slighting when used of people known for substantive achievements.^[6]

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin