impersonal

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English

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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impersonal (comparative more impersonal, superlative most impersonal)

  1. 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
  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.
    Synonyms: monopersonal, unipersonal
    The verb “rain” is impersonal in sentences like “It’s raining.”

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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impersonal (plural impersonals)

  1. (grammar) An impersonal word or construct.

Anagrams

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Catalan

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin impersōnālis.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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impersonal m or f (masculine and feminine plural impersonals)

  1. impersonal (not representing a person)
    Antonym: personal
  2. (grammar) impersonal (not having a subject)

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Old French

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Adjective

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impersonal m (oblique and nominative feminine singular impersonale)

  1. (grammar) impersonal

Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French impersonnel, from Latin impersonalis. Equivalent to in- +‎ personal.

Adjective

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impersonal m or n (feminine singular impersonală, masculine plural impersonali, feminine and neuter plural impersonale)

  1. impersonal

Declension

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Spanish

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Etymology

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From Latin impersōnālis.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /impeɾsoˈnal/ [ĩm.peɾ.soˈnal]
  • Rhymes: -al
  • Syllabification: im‧per‧so‧nal

Adjective

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impersonal m or f (masculine and feminine plural impersonales)

  1. impersonal (not representing a person)
    Antonym: personal
  2. (grammar) impersonal (not having a subject)

Derived terms

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Further reading

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