persona

noun

per·​so·​na pər-ˈsō-nə 

-ˌnä

plural personae pər-ˈsō-(ˌ)nē 

-ˌnī

or personas

1

: a character assumed by an author in a written work

2

a

plural personas [New Latin, from Latin] : an individual's social facade or front that especially in the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung reflects the role in life the individual is playing compare anima

b

: the personality that a person (such as an actor or politician) projects in public : image

3

plural personae : a character in a fictional presentation (such as a novel or play)

—usually plural

comic personae

Examples of persona in a Sentence

His public persona is that of a strong, determined leader, but in private life he's very insecure.

The band takes on a whole new persona when they perform live.

Recent Examples on the Web

Murphy may be the anti-movie star compared with the larger-than-life personas of Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Jason Statham, Sacha Baron Cohen and Jude Law, but Wallis has shown a natural ability to get past each of their defenses. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026

For example, a marketing professional in our study asked AI to create virtual customers with personas that would lead them to dislike a product under development, which was an accounting certificate program. — Monideepa Tarafdar, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026

With Spider-Noir, the actor figures this ambivalence toward his public persona into Reilly’s ambivalent battle with the Spider inside him. — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Arellano contends that Becerra should project a more forceful, less cautious persona, drawing on the immigrant and working-class experience of Latino families. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1732, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing persona

• in propria persona
• persona grata
• persona non grata

Rhymes for persona

• annona
• bellona
• cardona
• cinchona
• kimono
• ramona
• belladonna
• desdemona
• bona
• dona
• jonah
• krona

Medical Definition

persona

noun

per·​so·​na pər-ˈsō-nə, -ˌnä 

plural personas

: an individual's social facade or front that especially in the analytical psychology of C. G. Jung reflects the role in life the individual is playing compare anima sense 1