American Dictionary of the English Language

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Personal


PER'SONAL, adjective [Latin personalis.] Belonging to men or women, not to things; not real.

Every man so termed by way of personal difference only.

1. Relating to an individual; affecting individuals; peculiar or proper to him or her, or to private actions or character.

The words are conditional; if thou doest well; and so personal to Cain.

Character and success depend more on personal effort than on any external advantages.

So we speak of personal pride, personal reflections.

2. Pertaining to the corporal nature; exterior; corporal; as personal charms or accomplishments.

3. Present in person; not acting by representative; as a personal interview.

The immediate and personal speaking of God almighty to Abraham, Job and Moses.

Personal estate, in law, movables; chattels; things belonging to the person; as money, jewels, furniture, etc. as distinguished from real estate in land and houses.

Personal action, in law, a suit or action by which a man claims a debt or personal duty, or damages in lieu of it; or wherein he claims satisfaction in damages for an injury to his person or property; an action founded on contract or on tort or wrong; as an action on a debt or promise, or an action for a trespass, assault or defamatory words; opposed to real actions, or such as concern real property.

Personal identity, in metaphysics, sameness of being, of which consciousness is the evidence.

Personal verb, in grammar, a verb conjugated in the three persons; thus called in distinction from an impersonal verb, which has the third person only.

PER'SONAL, noun A movable. [Not in use.]