impersonal
adjective
im·per·son·al
(ˌ)im-ˈpər-sə-nəl 
-ˈpərs-nəl
1
a
: having no personal reference or connection
impersonal criticism
b
: not engaging the human personality or emotions
the machine as compared with the hand tool is an impersonal agency—
John Dewey
John Dewey
c
: not existing as a person : not having human qualities or characteristics
2
a
: denoting the verbal action of an unspecified agent and hence used with no expressed subject (such as methinks) or with a merely formal subject (such as rained in it rained)
b
of a pronoun
: indefinite
Examples of impersonal in a Sentence
We discussed the weather and other impersonal topics.
He maintained an impersonal, professional attitude.
“Rained” in “it rained” is an impersonal verb.
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead of an impersonal email drowning in a sea of unread messages, RCS guides customers through a step-by-step process—uploading documents, chatting with an advisor and seeing real-time approval estimates with interactive sliders.
—Jēnna Reese, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Some of your peers start as personal filmmakers and end up making these very impersonal blockbusters.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2025
In this sense, madness is a bit like the radical-feminist conception of gender itself: a malignant force whose power is intimate yet strangely impersonal.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025
Their termination e-mails were short, impersonal, and, in many cases, dishonest.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impersonal
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Jēnna Reese, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Some of your peers start as personal filmmakers and end up making these very impersonal blockbusters.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2025
In this sense, madness is a bit like the radical-feminist conception of gender itself: a malignant force whose power is intimate yet strangely impersonal.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2025
Their termination e-mails were short, impersonal, and, in many cases, dishonest.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impersonal
Cite this Entry
“Impersonal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impersonal. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impersonal
adjective
im·per·son·al
(ˈ)im-ˈpərs-nəl
-ᵊn-əl
1
: having no expressed subject or no subject other than "it"
"rained" in "it rained" is an impersonal verb
2
: not personal:
a
: not showing or involving personal feelings : detached
an impersonal professional attitude
b
: not caring about individual persons or their feelings
cold impersonal cities
a giant impersonal corporation
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