impersonal
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From French impersonnel, from Latin impersōnālis, from im- (“not”) + persōnālis (“personal”).
PronunciationEdit
- (General American) IPA(key): /ɪmˈpɝsənəl/
Audio (UK) (file)
AdjectiveEdit
impersonal (comparative more impersonal, superlative most impersonal)
- Not personal; not representing a person; not having personality.
- 1853, James Stephen, On Desultory and Systematic Reading: A Lecture
- 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
- 1853, James Stephen, On Desultory and Systematic Reading: A Lecture
- Lacking warmth or emotion; cold.
- She sounded impersonal as she gave her report of the Nazi death camps.
- 1887, H. Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure[1]:
- And now it appeared that there was a mysterious Queen clothed by rumour with dread and wonderful attributes, and commonly known by the impersonal, but, to my mind, rather awesome title of She.
- (grammar, of a verb or other word) Not having a subject, or having a third person pronoun without an antecedent.
- Synonyms: monopersonal, unipersonal
- The verb “rain” is impersonal in sentences like “It’s raining.”
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
not representing a person
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lacking warmth or emotion
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grammar
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NounEdit
impersonal (plural impersonals)
- (grammar) An impersonal word or construct.
AnagramsEdit
CatalanEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Latin impersōnālis.
PronunciationEdit
- (Balearic) IPA(key): /im.pəɾ.soˈnal/
- (Central) IPA(key): /im.pər.suˈnal/
- (Valencian) IPA(key): /im.peɾ.soˈnal/
- Rhymes: -al
AdjectiveEdit
impersonal (masculine and feminine plural impersonals)
- impersonal (not representing a person)
- Antonym: personal
- (grammar) impersonal (not having a subject)
Derived termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “impersonal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “impersonal” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
- “impersonal” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “impersonal” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Old FrenchEdit
AdjectiveEdit
impersonal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular impersonale)
SpanishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Latin impersōnālis.
PronunciationEdit
AdjectiveEdit
impersonal (plural impersonales)
- impersonal (not representing a person)
- Antonym: personal
- (grammar) impersonal (not having a subject)
Derived termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “impersonal” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.