impersonal

Contents

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From French impersonnel, from Latin impersōnālis, from Latin im- (“not”) + persōnālis (“personal”).

AdjectiveEdit

impersonal (comparative more impersonal, superlative most impersonal)

1. Not personal; not representing a person; not having personality.

   An almighty but impersonal power, called Fate. –Sir J. Stephen.

2. Lacking warmth or emotion; cold.

   She sounded impersonal as she gave her report of the Nazi death camps.

3. (grammar, of a verb or other word) Not having a subject, or having a third person pronoun without an antecedent.

   The verb “rain” is impersonal in sentences like “It’s raining.”

Related termsEdit

• personal

SynonymsEdit

• (grammar): monopersonal, unipersonal

Derived termsEdit

• impersonal verb

TranslationsEdit

not representing a person

• Czech: neosobní m
• Dutch: onpersoonlijk (nl)
• Finnish: persoonaton
• German: unpersönlich (de)
• Greek: απρόσωπος (el) (aprósopos)

• Ido: nepersonala (io)
• Kashubian: bezòsobòwi
• Russian: безли́чный (ru) (bezlíčnyj), обезли́ченный (ru) (obezlíčennyj)
• Spanish: impersonal (es)

lacking warmth or emotion

• Czech: neosobní m
• Dutch: onpersoonlijk (nl)
• Finnish: persoonaton
• German: unpersönlich (de)

• Greek: απρόσωπος (el) (aprósopos)
• Portuguese: impessoal (pt)
• Russian: отчуждённый (ru) (otčuždjónnyj)
• Spanish: impersonal (es)

grammar

• Breton: dic'hour (br)
• Estonian: umbisikuline
• Finnish: persoonaton
• French: impersonnel (fr)
• German: unpersönlich (de)

• Greek: απρόσωπος (el) (aprósopos)
• Kumyk: бетсиз (betsiz)
• Latin: impersonalis m
• Russian: безли́чный (ru) (bezlíčnyj)
• Spanish: impersonal (es)

AnagramsEdit

• mailperson, prolamines

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Old FrenchEdit

AdjectiveEdit

impersonal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular impersonale)

1. (grammar) impersonal

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SpanishEdit

AdjectiveEdit

impersonal (plural impersonales)

1. impersonal