Word
impersonal
Phoneticsim·per·son·al, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌɪmˈpɝsənəɫ/
UK/ɪmpˈɜːsənəl/
Definition
adj. not showing any feelings or personal opinions. You use this to describe things like a cold room or a business letter that does not sound friendly.
adj. lacking personal feelings, opinions, or bias; not relating to a specific person. Often describes language, environments, or systems that maintain a detached or objective tone.
Examples
“The office has a very impersonal atmosphere.”
“The customer service department was criticized for its impersonal response to the complaint.”
“The legal document was written in an impersonal tone to ensure that the language remained neutral and did not favor any specific party involved in the dispute.”
Examples
simple
“The office has a very impersonal atmosphere.”
contextual
“The customer service department was criticized for its impersonal response to the complaint.”
complex
“The legal document was written in an impersonal tone to ensure that the language remained neutral and did not favor any specific party involved in the dispute.”
Real-World Examples
“And what struck me in researching this story and thinking about how to visualize it, was how impersonal the language of heat often is.” “Yet she often avoids office collections on principle, not personality, disliking how impersonal they can feel.” Etymology
From French impersonnel, from Latin impersōnālis, from im- (“not”) + persōnālis (“personal”), equivalent to im- + personal.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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