impersonal
gb/ɪmpˈɚsənəl/ us/ɪmpˈɚsənəl/
B2
English
személytelen
B2
1
személytelen
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s/[something]'s manner/tone is impersonal
His reply was polite but impersonal, as if he were writing to a stranger.
A válasza udvarias volt, de személytelen, mintha egy idegennek írna.
The meeting felt impersonal, with everyone reading from prepared notes.
Az értekezlet személytelennek hatott, mindenki előre megírt jegyzetekből olvasott fel.
She disliked the impersonal way the staff spoke to patients.
Learner examples
The email sounded impersonal.
Az e-mail személytelennek hangzott.
The service was quick but impersonal.
A kiszolgálás gyors volt, de személytelen.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse impersonal with 'unimportant'; it usually means 'not warm' or 'not human/individual'.
Meaning
not warm or friendly
Collocations
an impersonal manner
|an impersonal tone
|an impersonal response
|an impersonal relationship
|impersonal communication
|impersonal treatment
|an impersonal approach
|an impersonal atmosphere
|impersonal service
|an impersonal style
Synonyms
cold (Stronger emotional sense; suggests lack of warmth.)
|
distant (Focuses on emotional distance, not necessarily rudeness.)
|
detached (Suggests not emotionally involved.)
Antonyms
warm (Shows friendliness and caring.)
|
friendly (Actively kind and welcoming.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|communication
Definition
cold and not friendly, as if you do not care about the person
Not showing personal feelings, interest, or warmth; emotionally distant in manner or tone.
B2
2
személytelen
B2
Usage pattern:
an impersonal remark/comment/criticism/decision
His comments were meant to be impersonal, but she still felt criticized.
A megjegyzéseit nem személyesnek szánta, de a nő mégis úgy érezte, bírálják.
The letter was an impersonal notice sent to all tenants.
A levél egy minden bérlőnek kiküldött, személytelen értesítés volt.
Try to keep your feedback impersonal and focus on the work.
Learner examples
It was an impersonal announcement for everyone.
Ez egy mindenkinek szóló, személytelen bejelentés volt.
Please keep your criticism impersonal.
Kérlek, a kritikád maradjon személytelen.
Common mistake:
Impulsive confusion with 'anonymous': impersonal can be general even when the speaker is known.
Meaning
not aimed at one person
Collocations
an impersonal remark
|impersonal criticism
|an impersonal comment
|an impersonal rejection
|an impersonal decision
|an impersonal policy
|an impersonal rule
|an impersonal message
|impersonal advice
|an impersonal statement
Synonyms
general (Emphasizes broad applicability rather than lack of feeling.)
|
nonpersonal (Directly contrasts with 'personal'; common in business contexts.)
Antonyms
personal (Directed at a particular person or involving personal feelings.)
|
targeted (Aimed at a specific person or group.)
Themes
communication
|social_issues
Definition
about people in general, not about one specific person
Not directed at or intended for a particular person; general rather than personal.
B2
3
személytelen
B2
Usage pattern:
an impersonal system/process/service
The complaints process is impersonal and hard to navigate.
A panaszkezelési folyamat személytelen, és nehéz eligazodni benne.
Online banking can feel impersonal compared with talking to a teller.
Az online bankolás személytelennek tűnhet ahhoz képest, amikor az ember egy ügyintézővel beszél.
He found corporate life too impersonal and left to join a small team.
Learner examples
The website support is impersonal.
A weboldal ügyfélszolgálata személytelen.
I prefer a more personal service.
Én személyesebb kiszolgálást preferálok.
Meaning
from a system, not a person
Collocations
an impersonal system
|an impersonal process
|impersonal bureaucracy
|an impersonal corporation
|an impersonal workplace
|an impersonal office
|impersonal customer service
|an impersonal call center
|an impersonal platform
|impersonal online service
Synonyms
bureaucratic (Emphasizes rules and procedures rather than human care.)
|
faceless (Highlights anonymity and lack of identifiable people.)
Antonyms
personalized (Tailored to an individual.)
|
human (Emphasizes direct human contact and empathy.)
Themes
business
|technology
|daily_life
Definition
not personal because it is done by a large system or technology
Characterized by a lack of personal contact or individual attention, especially in services, organizations, or technology-based processes.
C1
TECHNICAL
4
személytelen
C1
Usage pattern:
an impersonal verb/clause/construction
In “It seems that we’re late,” the clause uses an impersonal construction with dummy it.
Az „It seems that we’re late” mondatban a tagmondat személytelen szerkezetet használ formális it alannyal.
Some languages allow impersonal verbs that do not take a personal subject.
Egyes nyelvekben vannak olyan személytelen igék, amelyek nem vesznek fel személyes alanyt.
Teachers often use impersonal sentences to keep explanations general.
Learner examples
“It is raining” is an impersonal sentence.
Az „It is raining” személytelen mondat.
“It seems” uses an impersonal subject.
Az „It seems” személytelen alanyt használ.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'impersonal' means 'rude' in grammar contexts; here it is a technical label about sentence structure.
Meaning
not having a real subject
Collocations
impersonal verb
|impersonal construction
|impersonal clause
|impersonal sentence
|impersonal subject
|impersonal expression
|dummy it
|anticipatory it
|existential there
|impersonal form
Synonyms
subjectless (Often used informally in grammar discussion; not always strictly accurate.)
Antonyms
personal (In grammar, explicitly refers to a person or grammatical person.)
Themes
language
|grammar
|education
Definition
in grammar, used without a real subject like a person
In grammar, describing a verb, clause, or construction that does not refer to a specific person and often has no real subject (commonly using a dummy subject like it or there).
B2
FORMAL
5
személytelen
C1
Usage pattern:
an impersonal style/tone/voice
The report uses an impersonal style to sound more objective.
A jelentés személytelen stílust használ, hogy tárgyilagosabbnak hasson.
Try to keep the tone impersonal when writing formal complaints.
Igyekezz személytelen hangnemet megütni, amikor hivatalos panaszlevelet írsz.
Academic writing often sounds impersonal because it avoids “I.”
Learner examples
The essay is written in an impersonal style.
A dolgozat személytelen stílusban íródott.
Don’t use “I” if you need an impersonal tone.
Ne használd az „I” szót, ha személytelen hangnemre van szükség.
Meaning
avoiding I and you in writing
Collocations
an impersonal style
|an impersonal tone
|an impersonal voice
|impersonal language
|impersonal writing
|impersonal phrasing
|academic impersonal style
|an impersonal report
|an impersonal statement
|impersonal passive
Synonyms
objective (Focuses on facts rather than personal opinions; may still be personal in grammar.)
|
formal (Broader than impersonal; includes politeness and convention.)
Antonyms
personal (Uses I/we and personal experience or opinions.)
|
conversational (Sounds like everyday speech and addresses the reader directly.)
Themes
education
|writing
|academic
Definition
written in a neutral way, without saying I or you
Using a neutral, objective style that avoids referring directly to the writer or reader (often using passive voice or third-person wording).
Grammar
Dictionary form
impersonal
IPA
GB/ɪmpˈɚsənəl/
US/ɪmpˈɚsənəl/
Syllables & stress
im - per - son - al (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (per)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: impersonal
Word family
Expressions
impersonal it
1/ɪmpˈɚsənəl ˈɪt/
fixed phrase
technical
dummy it without real meaning
“it” used as a subject with no real meaning
Examples
- The “it” in “It’s snowing” is sometimes called impersonal it.
- We use impersonal it in time expressions like “It’s late.”
- In class, they practiced rewriting sentences that use impersonal it.
Learner examples
- In “It’s cold,” “it” is impersonal it.
- We often use impersonal it for weather.
impersonal passive
1/ɪmpˈɚsənəl pˈæsɪv/
fixed phrase
technical
passive with dummy subject
a passive form that doesn’t say who did it
Examples
- The notice uses an impersonal passive: “It has been decided that parking will be restricted.”
- Writers sometimes choose an impersonal passive to avoid blaming anyone directly.
- In some varieties of English, impersonal passives are more common in formal announcements.
Learner examples
- The sign uses an impersonal passive.
- Impersonal passives are common in formal rules.
impersonal pronoun
1/ɪmpˈɚsənəl pɹˈoʊnaʊn/
fixed phrase
technical
pronoun used generally, not personally
a pronoun that means “people in general,” not one person
Examples
- In English, “you” is often used as an impersonal pronoun, as in “You never know what will happen.”
- Some languages use different words specifically as impersonal pronouns.
- The teacher asked students to replace “I” with an impersonal pronoun to make the statement more general.
Learner examples
- “You” can be an impersonal pronoun.
- An impersonal pronoun means people in general.
impersonal style
1/ɪmpˈɚsənəl stˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
formal
formal writing without I/you
a formal style that doesn’t say I or you
Examples
- Many universities recommend an impersonal style in lab reports.
- The editor changed several sentences to an impersonal style to make the article sound more objective.
- If you want an impersonal style, you can use passive voice in some sentences.
Learner examples
- Please write in an impersonal style.
- This report uses an impersonal style.
impersonal verb
1/ɪmpˈɚsənəl vˈɚb/
fixed phrase
technical
verb without a personal subject
a verb used without a real person as the subject
Examples
- In “It is raining,” the verb phrase is often described as impersonal.
- Some grammar books call “seem” an impersonal verb in sentences like “It seems that she’s right.”
- The lesson compared personal and impersonal verbs across several languages.
Learner examples
- “It is raining” uses an impersonal verb.
- Some languages have many impersonal verbs.