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personable

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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From Late Middle English personable, personabil (having a pleasing appearance, handsome),[1] and then from both of the following:[2]

By surface analysis, person +‎ -able (suffix meaning ‘relevant or suitable to’).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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personable (comparative more personable, superlative most personable)

  1. Of a person: having a pleasing appearance; attractive; handsome.
    Synonyms: good-looking; see also Thesaurus:beautiful
    Antonyms: unattractive, unpersonable; see also Thesaurus:ugly
  2. Of a person: having a pleasant manner; amiable, friendly.
    Synonyms: affable, agreeable, likeable; see also Thesaurus:friendly
    Antonyms: unpersonable; see also Thesaurus:hostile
    • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. [], London: [] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 5, page 445:
      A thouſand thoughts ſhe faſhioned in her mind, / And in her feigning fancie did pourtray / Him ſuch, as fitteſt he for loue could find, / VViſe, vvarlike, perſonable, courteous, and kind.
    • 1919, Joseph A[lexander] Altsheler, “Music in the Moonlight”, in The Sun of Quebec: A Story of a Great Crisis (The French and Indian War Series; 6), New York, N.Y.: Appleton-Century-Crofts, →OCLC, page 88:
      I'm bound to admit that you're a personable young rascal, with the best manners I've met in a long time, but I warn you that you can't go far.
    • 2003 September 22, Randy James, quoting Stephanie Birkitt, “2-Min. Bio: Stephanie Birkitt: Letterman’s Lover?”, in Time[1], New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., published 5 October 2009, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2010-10-25:
      Aside from being incredibly funny and personable he [David] Letterman is generous, kind and is great fun to play catch with.
      Quoted from Window on Wake Forest (23 September 2003).
  3. (obsolete)
    1. (rare) Synonym of personal (done in person, without an intermediary).
    2. (law) Being a legal person and thus able to maintain a plea in court, or to hold some property or right.
      • [1468, “Petitions of the Commons, with Their Summons”, in William Prynne, editor, An Exact Abridgement of the Records in the Tower of London, from the Reign of King Edward the Second, unto King Richard the Third, [], London: [] William Leake [], published 1657, →OCLC, page 683:
        It is enacted, that the Kings Letters Patents hereafter enſuing made to Queen Elizabeth of her dovver, ſhall be good, and that the Queen be by that name perſonable to plead, and be impleaded, that parcell of her dovver aſſigned by the Kings Letters Patents under the ſeal of the Dutchy of Lancaſter be good, albeit there be no livery and ſeiſin delivered vpon the ſame, vvherein are certain proviſions.
        Written in Late Middle English.]
      • 1607, Iohn [i.e., John] Cowell, “Personable”, in The Interpreter: Or Booke Containing the Signification of Words: Wherein is Set Foorth the True Meaning of All, or the Most Part of Such Words and Terms, as are Mentioned in the Lawe Writers, or Statutes of This Victorious and Renowned Kingdome, Requiring any Exposition or Interpretation. [], Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: [] Iohn Legate, →OCLC, signature Bbb 4, recto, column 1:
        The demaundant vvas iudged perſonable to maintaine this action. [] The tenent pleaded that the vvife vvas an alien borne in Portingall vvithout the ligeance of the King, and Iudgement vvas asked vvhether ſhe vvould be anſvvered. The plaintife ſaith: ſhee vvas made perſonable by Parlament, that is, as the Ciuillians vvould ſpeake it, habere perſonam ſtandi in iudicio.

Alternative forms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ personāble, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ personable, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required, Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2024; personable, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  3. ^ persǒun(e, n.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  4. ^ -āble, adj. suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.