What does "personally" mean?

1. (giving an opinion) you use this to show that you are giving your own opinion, which might be different from others. 2. (doing something yourself) doing something yourself rather than asking someone else to do it. 3. (affecting you individually) in a way that affects you as an individual person. 4. (taking something to heart) to feel that a comment or action is an attack on you, even if it was not meant that way.

How do you use "personally"?

Often used as a sentence adverb at the beginning of a clause to frame the following statement as an opinion.

personally

adv.

US //ˈpɝsənəɫi// UK //pˈɜːsənəli// per·son·al·ly

1 giving an opinion (adv.)
B1 Intermediate

you use this to show that you are giving your own opinion, which might be different from others.

used to indicate that the speaker is expressing a subjective viewpoint or individual preference.

Example

Personally, I think the blue curtains look much better than the green ones.

Example

Personally, I find the proposed changes to the curriculum somewhat reductive, though I understand the administrative need for standardisation.

Usage

Often used as a sentence adverb at the beginning of a clause to frame the following statement as an opinion.
- myself
- in my opinion
2 doing something yourself (adv.)
B1 Intermediate

doing something yourself rather than asking someone else to do it.

denoting individual agency or direct involvement rather than acting through a representative.

Example

The manager personally checked every room to make sure they were clean.

Example

The CEO personally oversaw the final stages of the merger to ensure that the corporate culture remained intact during the transition.
- in person
- directly
- indirectly
- vicariously

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3 affecting you individually (adv.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

in a way that affects you as an individual person.

relating to a specific individual rather than a group or an abstract entity.

Example

The new law doesn't affect me personally, but I worry about my friends.

Example

While the economic downturn was felt across the industry, several junior analysts were personally impacted by the sudden restructuring of the pension fund.
- individually
- collectively
4 taking something to heart (adv.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

to feel that a comment or action is an attack on you, even if it was not meant that way.

used with verbs like 'take' to indicate that an action or remark is interpreted as a private slight or emotional affront.

Example

Please don't take his comments personally; he is just having a bad day.

Example

It is difficult not to take such pointed criticism personally when you have invested months of intensive labour into the project.
- to heart

Origin

From Middle English personally, personely, personallich, personaliche, equivalent to personal + -ly.