personality
gb/pˌɚsənˈælɪti/ us/pˌɚsənˈælɪti/
A2
English
~ 2400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
a person's character traits
The way a person usually thinks, feels, and acts.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s personality
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'personality' with 'person' — 'personality' is about character traits, not the physical person.
Synonyms
character (Often refers to moral qualities as well as personality traits.)
|
temperament (Refers more to natural or inborn aspects of personality.)
Antonyms
anonymity (Refers to the absence of personal identity or distinct traits.)
Collocations
strong personality
|outgoing personality
|personality traits
|change in personality
|personality type
Themes
psychology
|emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her friendly personality makes her easy to talk to.
- He has a very curious personality that drives him to explore new ideas.
- The job requires someone with a confident personality.
- Living abroad changed his personality in many ways.
- She has a warm personality that attracts people.
Learner examples
- My sister has a happy personality.
- He has a quiet personality.
- She has a strong personality.
- I like his friendly personality.
Noun
B1
entity
2
a well-known person
A person who many people know because they are on TV, in movies, or in public life.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a [field] personality
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'personality' in this sense with the general character traits meaning; here it refers to a famous person, not their traits.
Synonyms
celebrity (More general term for any famous person.)
Antonyms
unknown (Refers to someone not known by the public.)
Collocations
TV personality
|media personality
|sports personality
Themes
media
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She became a popular TV personality after hosting the show.
- The event was attended by several sports personalities.
- He is a well-known radio personality in the city.
Learner examples
- She is a TV personality.
- He is a sports personality.
- The singer is a big media personality.
Grammar
Dictionary form
personality
IPA
GB/pˌɚsənˈælɪti/
US/pˌɚsənˈælɪti/
Syllables & stress
per - son - al - ity (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (son)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: personality
- Plural: personalities, personality
Word family
Forms
personalities
noun
Core family
Related words
personalize
verb B2
personalization
noun C1
Negative and opposite forms
impersonal
adjective B2
impersonally
adverb C1
Advanced or less common
Expressions
larger than life personality
1/lˈɑɹd͡ʒɚ ðən lˈaɪf pˌɚsənˈælɪti/
fixed phrase
very noticeable and impressive character
When someone’s character is so strong and interesting that they attract much attention.
Examples
- The actor had a larger than life personality that made him unforgettable.
- She is remembered for her larger than life personality.
split personality
1/splˈɪt pˌɚsənˈælɪti/
fixed phrase
two different identities in one person
A medical or informal term for when one person seems to have two very different sides to their character.
Examples
- In the movie, the villain has a split personality.
- He shows a split personality—sometimes kind, sometimes cruel.
personality clash
1/pˌɚsənˈælɪti klˈæʃ/
fixed phrase
conflict due to character differences
When two people cannot get along because their characters are too different.
Examples
- They broke up because of a personality clash.
- Their breakup was mainly due to a personality clash.
- There was a personality clash between the two team members.
- There is a serious personality clash between the new manager and the team leader.
- Sometimes poor performance is really about a personality clash, not lack of skills.