Word
personally
Phoneticsper·son·al·ly, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɝsənəɫi/
UK/pˈɜːsənəli/
Sentence adverb
Definitions
01giving an opinion
B1 · Intermediate
adv. you use this to show that you are giving your own opinion, which might be different from others.
adv. used to indicate that the speaker is expressing a subjective viewpoint or individual preference.
“Personally, I think the blue curtains look much better than the green ones.”
“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.
Synonyms
02doing something yourself
B1 · Intermediate
adv. doing something yourself rather than asking someone else to do it.
adv. denoting individual agency or direct involvement rather than acting through a representative.
“The manager personally checked every room to make sure they were clean.”
“The CEO personally oversaw the final stages of the merger to ensure that the corporate culture remained intact during the transition.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03affecting you individually
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adv. in a way that affects you as an individual person.
adv. relating to a specific individual rather than a group or an abstract entity.
“The new law doesn't affect me personally, but I worry about my friends.”
“While the economic downturn was felt across the industry, several junior analysts were personally impacted by the sudden restructuring of the pension fund.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04taking something to heart
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adv. to feel that a comment or action is an attack on you, even if it was not meant that way.
adv. used with verbs like 'take' to indicate that an action or remark is interpreted as a private slight or emotional affront.
“Please don't take his comments personally; he is just having a bad day.”
“It is difficult not to take such pointed criticism personally when you have invested months of intensive labour into the project.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “personally” in context.
Verb
01. personally believe that
“I personally believe that we should give everyone a second chance.”
adv + verb + that-clause
02. personally deal with the problem
“The director promised to personally deal with the problem immediately.”
adv + verb + prep + noun
03. personally guarantee the quality
“I can personally guarantee the quality of these handmade products.”
adv + verb + noun
04. personally oversee the project
“She will personally oversee the project to ensure everything goes smoothly.”
adv + verb + noun
05. personally thank the team
“The manager wanted to personally thank the team for their hard work.”
adv + verb + noun
06. take the criticism personally
“You shouldn't take the criticism personally; it was meant to be helpful.”
verb + noun + adv
Adjective
07. personally involved in the case
“The detective was personally involved in the case because he knew the victim.”
adv + adj + prep + noun
08. personally responsible for the error
“He felt personally responsible for the error that delayed the flight.”
adv + adj + prep + noun
09. personally affected
Etymology
From Middle English personally, personely, personallich, personaliche, equivalent to personal + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- 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.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL 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: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/personally