personal

1 adjective

1 DONE YOURSELF (only before noun) done, learned, or experienced by you yourself: I know from personal experience that you can't trust Ralph. | The Mayor promised to give the matter his personal attention. | I'll take personal responsibility if this doesn't work. | personal contact (=meeting and dealing with people yourself directly): As you get promoted in a firm you lose that personal contact.

2 PRIVATE concerning only you, especially the private areas of your life: May I ask you a personal question? | personal problems | personal letters | I'd tell you what's wrong, but it's a bit personal. | personal details (=where you live, how old you are etc): You will have to fill out a form giving your personal details.

3 YOUR OWN yours and no one else's: Well, that's my personal view, anyway. | Modern art isn't to my personal taste. | my/their etc own personal: They paid for everything and then he was given his own personal chaffeur to drive him home. | personal possessions/property/belongings (=things belonging only to you) | personal effects formal (=small possessions): personal effects scattered all around the wreckage of an aircraft

4 CRITICIZING involving rude or upsetting criticism of someone: It's unprofessional to make such personal remarks. | get personal: You don't have to get so personal! | (it's) nothing personal spoken (=used to tell someone that you do not intend to be rude to them): It's nothing personal, I just have to go home now.

5 personal friend someone that you know well, especially a famous or important person: Apparently the director is a personal friend of hers.

6 NOT OFFICIAL not concerned with your work, business, or official duties: Please try not to make personal phone calls at work. | sb's personal life: I don't answer questions about my personal life.

7 YOUR BODY (only before noun) concerning your body or the way you look: Grant was always fussy about his personal appearance. | personal hygiene

8 personal touch something you do to make something special, or that makes someone feel special: It's those extra personal touches that make our service better.

9 personal development the improvements in your character that come from your experiences in life: the role of physical activities in the child's development

2 noun (C) AmE a short advertisement put in a newspaper or magazine by someone who wants a friend or lover