"impersonal" meaning in English

See impersonal in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ɪmˈpɝsənəl/ [General-American], /ɪmˈpɜː.sn̩.ɫ̩/ (note: Northern England English, Syllabic post-schwa consonants) Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav [Southern-England] Forms: more impersonal [comparative], most impersonal [superlative]
Etymology: From French impersonnel, from Latin impersōnālis, from im- (“not”) + persōnālis (“personal”), equivalent to im- + personal. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|fr|impersonnel}} French impersonnel, {{der|en|la|impersōnālis}} Latin impersōnālis, {{m|la|im-||not}} im- (“not”), {{m|la|persōnālis||personal}} persōnālis (“personal”), {{pre|en|im|personal}} im- + personal Head templates: {{en-adj}} impersonal (comparative more impersonal, superlative most impersonal)
  1. Not personal; not representing a person; not having personality. Translations (not representing a person): impersonal (Catalan), neosobní (Czech), onpersoonlijk (Dutch), persoonaton (Finnish), impersoal (Galician), unpersönlich (German), απρόσωπος (aprósopos) (Greek), személytelen (Hungarian), nepersonala (Ido), bezòsobòwi (Kashubian), bezosobowy (Polish), безли́чный (bezlíčnyj) (Russian), обезли́ченный (obezlíčennyj) (Russian), impersonal (Spanish), opersonlig (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-impersonal-en-adj-lWcEUKe8 Disambiguation of 'not representing a person': 80 1 20
  2. Lacking warmth or emotion; cold. Translations (lacking warmth or emotion): бязлі́кі (bjazlíki) (Belarusian), impersonal (Catalan), neosobní (Czech), onpersoonlijk (Dutch), persoonaton (Finnish), impersoal (Galician), unpersönlich (German), απρόσωπος (aprósopos) (Greek), személytelen (Hungarian), közömbös (Hungarian), érzéketlen (Hungarian), rideg (Hungarian), bezduszny (Polish), bezosobowy (Polish), impessoal (Portuguese), отчуждённый (otčuždjónnyj) (Russian), безли́кий (bezlíkij) (Russian), impersonal (Spanish), opersonlig (Swedish), безли́кий (bezlýkyj) (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-impersonal-en-adj-Immierlo Disambiguation of 'lacking warmth or emotion': 1 92 7
  3. (grammar, of a verb or other word) Not having a subject, or having a third person pronoun without an antecedent. Categories (topical): Grammar Synonyms: monopersonal, unipersonal Translations (grammar): безасабо́вы (bjezasabóvy) (Belarusian), dic'hour (Breton), безли́чен (bezlíčen) (Bulgarian), impersonal (Catalan), 無人稱 (Chinese Mandarin), 无人称 (wúrénchēng) (Chinese Mandarin), umbisikuline (Estonian), persoonaton (Finnish), impersonnel (French), impersoal (Galician), unpersönlich (German), απρόσωπος (aprósopos) (Greek), személytelen (Hungarian), liitsatoin (Ingrian), бетсиз (betsiz) (Kumyk), impersonalis (Latin), bezosobowy (Polish), безли́чный (bezlíčnyj) (Russian), impersonal (Spanish), opersonlig (Swedish), безособо́вий (bezosobóvyj) (Ukrainian)
    Sense id: en-impersonal-en-adj-0EuGBS6u Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with im- Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 26 3 54 17 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with im-: 15 15 51 19 Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences Disambiguation of 'grammar': 5 3 92
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: impersonal passive, impersonal subject, impersonal verb Related terms: personal

Noun

IPA: /ɪmˈpɝsənəl/ [General-American], /ɪmˈpɜː.sn̩.ɫ̩/ (note: Northern England English, Syllabic post-schwa consonants) Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav [Southern-England] Forms: impersonals [plural]
Etymology: From French impersonnel, from Latin impersōnālis, from im- (“not”) + persōnālis (“personal”), equivalent to im- + personal. Etymology templates: {{bor|en|fr|impersonnel}} French impersonnel, {{der|en|la|impersōnālis}} Latin impersōnālis, {{m|la|im-||not}} im- (“not”), {{m|la|persōnālis||personal}} persōnālis (“personal”), {{pre|en|im|personal}} im- + personal Head templates: {{en-noun}} impersonal (plural impersonals)
  1. (grammar) An impersonal word or construct. Categories (topical): Grammar
    Sense id: en-impersonal-en-noun-pExfFF0- Topics: grammar, human-sciences, linguistics, sciences

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for impersonal meaning in English (12.2kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "impersonal passive"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "impersonal subject"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "impersonal verb"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "impersonnel"
      },
      "expansion": "French impersonnel",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "impersōnālis"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin impersōnālis",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "im-",
        "3": "",
        "4": "not"
      },
      "expansion": "im- (“not”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "persōnālis",
        "3": "",
        "4": "personal"
      },
      "expansion": "persōnālis (“personal”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "im",
        "3": "personal"
      },
      "expansion": "im- + personal",
      "name": "pre"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From French impersonnel, from Latin impersōnālis, from im- (“not”) + persōnālis (“personal”), equivalent to im- + personal.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more impersonal",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most impersonal",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "impersonal (comparative more impersonal, superlative most impersonal)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "personal"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1853, James Stephen, On Desultory and Systematic Reading: A Lecture",
          "text": "The great tragedians of Greece reveal to us their people's exquisite sense of beauty, and their faith in an awful, an almighty, but an impersonal power, called Fate",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Not personal; not representing a person; not having personality."
      ],
      "id": "en-impersonal-en-adj-lWcEUKe8",
      "links": [
        [
          "personal",
          "personal"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "impersonal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "neosobní"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "onpersoonlijk"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "persoonaton"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "impersoal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "unpersönlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "aprósopos",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "απρόσωπος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "személytelen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "io",
          "lang": "Ido",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "nepersonala"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "csb",
          "lang": "Kashubian",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "bezòsobòwi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "bezosobowy"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bezlíčnyj",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "безли́чный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "obezlíčennyj",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "обезли́ченный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "impersonal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 1 20",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "not representing a person",
          "word": "opersonlig"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "She sounded impersonal as she gave her report of the Nazi death camps.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Lacking warmth or emotion; cold."
      ],
      "id": "en-impersonal-en-adj-Immierlo",
      "links": [
        [
          "cold",
          "cold"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "bjazlíki",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "бязлі́кі"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "impersonal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "neosobní"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "onpersoonlijk"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "persoonaton"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "impersoal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "unpersönlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "aprósopos",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "απρόσωπος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "személytelen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "közömbös"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "érzéketlen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "rideg"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "bezduszny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "bezosobowy"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "impessoal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "otčuždjónnyj",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "отчуждённый"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bezlíkij",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "безли́кий"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "impersonal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "opersonlig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 92 7",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "bezlýkyj",
          "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
          "word": "безли́кий"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Grammar",
          "orig": "en:Grammar",
          "parents": [
            "Linguistics",
            "Language",
            "Social sciences",
            "Communication",
            "Sciences",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "26 3 54 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 15 51 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with im-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The verb “rain” is impersonal in sentences like “It’s raining.”",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Not having a subject, or having a third person pronoun without an antecedent."
      ],
      "id": "en-impersonal-en-adj-0EuGBS6u",
      "links": [
        [
          "grammar",
          "grammar"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(grammar, of a verb or other word) Not having a subject, or having a third person pronoun without an antecedent."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a verb or other word"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "monopersonal"
        },
        {
          "word": "unipersonal"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "grammar",
        "human-sciences",
        "linguistics",
        "sciences"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "be",
          "lang": "Belarusian",
          "roman": "bjezasabóvy",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "безасабо́вы"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "br",
          "lang": "Breton",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "dic'hour"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "bezlíčen",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "безли́чен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "impersonal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "無人稱"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "wúrénchēng",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "无人称"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "et",
          "lang": "Estonian",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "umbisikuline"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "persoonaton"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "impersonnel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "impersoal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "unpersönlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "aprósopos",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "απρόσωπος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "személytelen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "izh",
          "lang": "Ingrian",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "liitsatoin"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "kum",
          "lang": "Kumyk",
          "roman": "betsiz",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "бетсиз"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "impersonalis"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "bezosobowy"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bezlíčnyj",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "безли́чный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "impersonal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "opersonlig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "5 3 92",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "bezosobóvyj",
          "sense": "grammar",
          "word": "безособо́вий"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪmˈpɝsənəl/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪmˈpɜː.sn̩.ɫ̩/",
      "note": "Northern England English, Syllabic post-schwa consonants"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "impersonal"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "impersonnel"
      },
      "expansion": "French impersonnel",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "impersōnālis"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin impersōnālis",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "im-",
        "3": "",
        "4": "not"
      },
      "expansion": "im- (“not”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "persōnālis",
        "3": "",
        "4": "personal"
      },
      "expansion": "persōnālis (“personal”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "im",
        "3": "personal"
      },
      "expansion": "im- + personal",
      "name": "pre"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From French impersonnel, from Latin impersōnālis, from im- (“not”) + persōnālis (“personal”), equivalent to im- + personal.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "impersonals",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "impersonal (plural impersonals)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Grammar",
          "orig": "en:Grammar",
          "parents": [
            "Linguistics",
            "Language",
            "Social sciences",
            "Communication",
            "Sciences",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An impersonal word or construct."
      ],
      "id": "en-impersonal-en-noun-pExfFF0-",
      "links": [
        [
          "grammar",
          "grammar"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(grammar) An impersonal word or construct."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "grammar",
        "human-sciences",
        "linguistics",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪmˈpɝsənəl/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪmˈpɜː.sn̩.ɫ̩/",
      "note": "Northern England English, Syllabic post-schwa consonants"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "impersonal"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 4-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from French",
    "English terms derived from French",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms prefixed with im-",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "impersonal passive"
    },
    {
      "word": "impersonal subject"
    },
    {
      "word": "impersonal verb"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "impersonnel"
      },
      "expansion": "French impersonnel",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "impersōnālis"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin impersōnālis",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "im-",
        "3": "",
        "4": "not"
      },
      "expansion": "im- (“not”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "persōnālis",
        "3": "",
        "4": "personal"
      },
      "expansion": "persōnālis (“personal”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "im",
        "3": "personal"
      },
      "expansion": "im- + personal",
      "name": "pre"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From French impersonnel, from Latin impersōnālis, from im- (“not”) + persōnālis (“personal”), equivalent to im- + personal.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more impersonal",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most impersonal",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "impersonal (comparative more impersonal, superlative most impersonal)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "personal"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1853, James Stephen, On Desultory and Systematic Reading: A Lecture",
          "text": "The great tragedians of Greece reveal to us their people's exquisite sense of beauty, and their faith in an awful, an almighty, but an impersonal power, called Fate",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Not personal; not representing a person; not having personality."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "personal",
          "personal"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "She sounded impersonal as she gave her report of the Nazi death camps.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Lacking warmth or emotion; cold."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cold",
          "cold"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Grammar"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "The verb “rain” is impersonal in sentences like “It’s raining.”",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Not having a subject, or having a third person pronoun without an antecedent."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "grammar",
          "grammar"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(grammar, of a verb or other word) Not having a subject, or having a third person pronoun without an antecedent."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a verb or other word"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "monopersonal"
        },
        {
          "word": "unipersonal"
        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        "grammar",
        "human-sciences",
        "linguistics",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪmˈpɝsənəl/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪmˈpɜː.sn̩.ɫ̩/",
      "note": "Northern England English, Syllabic post-schwa consonants"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "impersonal"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "neosobní"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "onpersoonlijk"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "persoonaton"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "impersoal"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "unpersönlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "aprósopos",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "απρόσωπος"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "személytelen"
    },
    {
      "code": "io",
      "lang": "Ido",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "nepersonala"
    },
    {
      "code": "csb",
      "lang": "Kashubian",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "bezòsobòwi"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "bezosobowy"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bezlíčnyj",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "безли́чный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "obezlíčennyj",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "обезли́ченный"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "impersonal"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "not representing a person",
      "word": "opersonlig"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "bjazlíki",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "бязлі́кі"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "impersonal"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "neosobní"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "onpersoonlijk"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "persoonaton"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "impersoal"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "unpersönlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "aprósopos",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "απρόσωπος"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "személytelen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "közömbös"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "érzéketlen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "rideg"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "bezduszny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "bezosobowy"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "impessoal"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "otčuždjónnyj",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "отчуждённый"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bezlíkij",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "безли́кий"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "impersonal"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "opersonlig"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "bezlýkyj",
      "sense": "lacking warmth or emotion",
      "word": "безли́кий"
    },
    {
      "code": "be",
      "lang": "Belarusian",
      "roman": "bjezasabóvy",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "безасабо́вы"
    },
    {
      "code": "br",
      "lang": "Breton",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "dic'hour"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "bezlíčen",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "безли́чен"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "impersonal"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "無人稱"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "wúrénchēng",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "无人称"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "umbisikuline"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "persoonaton"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "impersonnel"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "impersoal"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "unpersönlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "aprósopos",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "απρόσωπος"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "személytelen"
    },
    {
      "code": "izh",
      "lang": "Ingrian",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "liitsatoin"
    },
    {
      "code": "kum",
      "lang": "Kumyk",
      "roman": "betsiz",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "бетсиз"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "impersonalis"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "bezosobowy"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bezlíčnyj",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "безли́чный"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "impersonal"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "opersonlig"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "bezosobóvyj",
      "sense": "grammar",
      "word": "безособо́вий"
    }
  ],
  "word": "impersonal"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English 4-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms borrowed from French",
    "English terms derived from French",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms prefixed with im-",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fr",
        "3": "impersonnel"
      },
      "expansion": "French impersonnel",
      "name": "bor"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "impersōnālis"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin impersōnālis",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "im-",
        "3": "",
        "4": "not"
      },
      "expansion": "im- (“not”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "persōnālis",
        "3": "",
        "4": "personal"
      },
      "expansion": "persōnālis (“personal”)",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "im",
        "3": "personal"
      },
      "expansion": "im- + personal",
      "name": "pre"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From French impersonnel, from Latin impersōnālis, from im- (“not”) + persōnālis (“personal”), equivalent to im- + personal.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "impersonals",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "impersonal (plural impersonals)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Grammar"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An impersonal word or construct."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "grammar",
          "grammar"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(grammar) An impersonal word or construct."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "grammar",
        "human-sciences",
        "linguistics",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪmˈpɝsənəl/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ɪmˈpɜː.sn̩.ɫ̩/",
      "note": "Northern England English, Syllabic post-schwa consonants"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8c/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "impersonal"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-24 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (82c8ff9 and f4967a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.