personalityper‧son‧al‧i‧ty /ˌpɜːsəˈnæləti $ ˌpɜːr-/ ●●● S3 W3 noun (plural personalities) 
Despite their different personalities, they became the best of friends. Unfortunately, the illness can lead to changes in personality. → split personality2[countable] someone who is very famous and often appears in the newspapers, on television etc, especially an entertainer or sports personTV/radio/sports personality one of the most well-liked TV personalities► see thesaurus at star3[uncountable] the qualities of character that make someone interesting or enjoyable to be with: He’s honest but he lacks personality.4[countable usually singular] someone who has a very strong character and is very different from other people: He was a dynamic personality in the business world.5[countable usually singular] the qualities which make a place or thing different and interesting: It’s partly the architecture which gives the town its personality.COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa strong personality· Mercer has a strong personality and always tells you his opinion.a forceful personality· The architect’s forceful personality ensured that the work progressed rapidly.a dominant personality (=controlling other people)· He had a dominant personality and could be a bit of a bully.a warm personality (=friendly and kind to people)· Everyone who knew Roseanne will miss her warm personality.an outgoing/extrovert personality (=liking to talk to people)· The job requires someone with an outgoing personality.an engaging personality (=pleasant, so that people like you)· He is strikingly handsome with a very engaging personality.a bubbly personality (=happy and eager to do things)· Her bright and bubbly personality made her one of the most popular girls in her year.a lively/vivacious personality (=liking to meet and talk to people)· Her lively personality won her many admirers.a charismatic personality (=strong and attractive, so that people admire and respect you)· Like many other people, I was attracted by his charismatic personality.personality + NOUNa personality trait formal (=a part of your personality)· She shares many of her mother’s personality traits.a personality disorder (=a mental illness affecting someone’s personality)· The hospital treats patients with severe personality disorders.a personality clash (=when people cannot work together because they are so different)· The band eventually split because of personality clashes.a personality test· Employers are increasingly using personality tests to help them select staff.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a sports personality
- Billie Holiday or Bessie Smith had more personality than a hundred of today's pop singers.
- Dotty was a smart, good-looking 17-year-old with a lively personality.
- Everyone loves her for her cheerful personality.
- For years she was one of the best-loved personalities in the newspaper gossip columns.
- It's true he can be emotional at times but that's just part of his personality.
- Radio personality Don Imus has gotten in trouble again for what he said on the air.
- The disease causes memory loss, often leading to changes in behavior and personality.
- The Senator is a good, reliable man, but he lacks personality.
- There are three islands off the coast, each with its own personality.
- This election should be about issues and policies, not about the personalities of the candidates!
- Yes, he's got plenty of talent and ambition, but he's got no personality.
- Yun has a lovely, warm personality.
- Closely allied to the fundamental fear-complex within the personality is violence.
- Inside of her 4-10, 90-pound body was a lively personality and incredible desire.
- Most are Type A personalities, very outgoing, although a few are very shy and express themselves through their cars.
- Plas Newydd is dominated by his strong personality.
- Relationships in a single policy area also vary over time according to the issues and personalities involved.
- The critics held him in high esteem as an actor, and the fans adored him for his outrageous and boozy personality.
- This information is important in understanding the circumstances and influences on the development of the client's personality and belief systems.
- What type of personality do you have?
Longman Language Activatorsomeone's character
the combination of qualities that makes someone a particular kind of person, for example a good or bad, honest or dishonest person: · Her behavior last night revealed a lot about her character.· A candidate's character and qualifications are more important than past experience.· What strikes me most about Hamlet is his noble character.
someone's character - use this especially about how someone behaves towards other people, for example whether they are friendly or unfriendly, confident or easily frightened etc: · It's true he can be emotional at times but that's just part of his personality.· This election should be about issues and policies, not about the personalities of the candidates!friendly/nice/warm etc personality: · Yun has a lovely, warm personality.
someone's character - use this especially to say whether someone is naturally good or bad, gentle or severe etc: · Kindness and sympathy were in his nature.· My girlfriend has a rather unforgiving nature so I don't think that I'll tell her.· She was surprised to learn he had a romantic side to his nature.by nature (=use this when saying what someone's usual character is): · She's generous by nature.· I am not by nature a violent man, but these insults were more than I could bear.it's not in somebody's nature: · It was not in his nature to take risks.
the emotional part of someone's character, especially how likely they are to become angry, happy, sad etc: · His calm, quiet temperament made him popular with his colleagues.· My father and I got along very well, having very similar temperaments.the right temperament: · I'm not sure if she has the right temperament for the job.
formal a character that makes it likely that you will behave nervously, jealously etc: · This program may not be suitable for people with a nervous disposition.be of a nervous/jealous etc disposition: · He's considerate and sweet-tempered but of a very nervous disposition.have a nervous/jealous etc disposition: · Sue had a sunny disposition and a warm smile.
British /makeup American someone's character - use this especially to say that someone's character is completely fixed and they cannot change it or control it: · It's not in their make-up to accept defeat.· Her constant attempts to justify her actions tell the reader a lot about her emotional make-up.· This behaviour is part of our genetic make-up rather than our cultural conditioning.be part of somebody's make-up: · Stubbornness has always been a significant part of his makeup.
informal if you know what makes someone tick , you understand their character, desires, and what makes them behave in the way they do: · After working with him for five years, I still don't know what makes him tick.· As a teacher, you need to get to know your students, find out what makes them tick.
a definite character that makes someone different from other people the definite character that a person or group sees themselves as having, which lets them feel different and separate from everyone else: · She was afraid marriage would cause her to lose her identity.· The islanders are proud of their strong regional identity.sense of identity (=the feeling that you have a strong identity): · Many teenagers play sports to gain a sense of identity.
the quality of being clearly different from other people and having your own personal character: · It's difficult to be part of a highly organized group such as the armed forces without losing some of your individuality.· We have a close working relationship while retaining our individuality and separate interests.
the quality of being interesting, friendly, and enjoyable to be with, that makes someone seem very different from most other people: · Everyone loves her for her cheerful personality.· Yes, he's got plenty of talent and ambition, but he's got no personality.· Billie Holiday or Bessie Smith had more personality than a hundred of today's pop singers.
a famous person a very famous and successful actor, entertainer, or sports player: · Hollings' latest movie role could make her a big star.movie/rock/tennis etc star: · John Cusack is one of my favourite movie stars.· She was once married to a well-known football star.big star: · If he becomes a big TV star, we'll probably never hear from him again.
also celeb informal someone who is well known, for example as an entertainer or sports player, and who is often seen on television or written about in newspapers: · People waited outside for the chance to see some celebrities.· The bar is a good place to go if you want to spot some celebs.TV/showbusiness/media etc celebrity: · The club is popular with media celebrities and literary types.celebrity interview/photograph/biography etc: · Mattie reads mainly tabloids and celebrity biographies.celebrity golf tournament/game show (=in which celebrities take part): · Nash played in a celebrity golf tournament while in Canada.minor celebrity (=not extremely famous, popular, or successful): · Six minor celebrities took part in the charity "Big Brother" programme.
an actor, musician, or sports player who is famous all over the world: · Janet Jackson became a superstar largely because of her exciting music videos.radio/TV/basketball etc superstar: · Hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky played for L.A. before retiring.
someone who is well known because they often appear on television and at public events: · For years she was one of the best-loved personalities in the newspaper gossip columns.TV/radio/sports etc personality: · Radio personality Don Imus has gotten in trouble again for what he said on the air.
informal a famous and successful performer: · Eric Hawkins, one of the big names of modern American dance
someone who has become very famous over a long period of time, especially because they are very good at a particular activity: · Among Mexican music fans, Fernandez is a legend.living legend/legend in somebody's own lifetime (=someone who has become a legend while still alive): · Michael Jordan is a living legend of basketball.
a person, company, or product that is a household name is so famous that everyone knows their name: · Coca-Cola is a household name all over the world.make somebody/something a household name: · Ralph Nader's consumer activism has made him a household name in the U.S.
WORD SETSagent, nounbill, nounblack comedy, nouncasting, nouncomedy, nouncommentator, nouncostume drama, noundialogue, noundirect, verbdirector, noundocudrama, noundocumentary, noundocumentary, adjectivedramatize, verbdub, verbedit, verbeditor, nounedutainment, nounfilm, verbFX, grip, nounlead, nounmegastar, nounmerchandising, nounmix, verbmixer, nounmultimedia, adjectivenarration, nounorgan, nounpan, verbpanel, nounpanellist, nounpap, nounpersonality, nounpublicity, nounraconteur, nounrecast, verbrehearsal, nounrehearse, verbreissue, verbreprise, nounrerun, verbscript, nounshow business, nounsketch, nounsound, nounsound effects, nounspecial effect, nounstar, verbstarlet, nounstory, nounsubplot, nounsuperstar, nounthriller, nounweepy, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYadjectives his flamboyant style of play He gained a reputation as a forceful member of the party. a mental illness associated with particular personality traits
· Mercer has a strong personality and always tells you his opinion.
· The architect’s forceful personality ensured that the work progressed rapidly.
(=controlling other people)· He had a dominant personality and could be a bit of a bully.
(=friendly and kind to people)· Everyone who knew Roseanne will miss her warm personality.
(=liking to talk to people)· The job requires someone with an outgoing personality.
(=pleasant, so that people like you)· He is strikingly handsome with a very engaging personality.
(=happy and eager to do things)· Her bright and bubbly personality made her one of the most popular girls in her year.
(=liking to meet and talk to people)· Her lively personality won her many admirers.
(=strong and attractive, so that people admire and respect you)· Like many other people, I was attracted by his charismatic personality.
personality + NOUN formal (=a part of your personality)· She shares many of her mother’s personality traits.
(=a mental illness affecting someone’s personality)· The hospital treats patients with severe personality disorders.
(=when people cannot work together because they are so different)· The band eventually split because of personality clashes.
· Employers are increasingly using personality tests to help them select staff.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=that stops someone behaving in a normal way)· The study suggested that 84% of prisoners have a personality disorder.
his flamboyant style of play He gained a reputation as a forceful member of the party. (=someone who is famous for playing sport)· The event will be opened by a well-known sports personality.
a mental illness associated with particular personality traits (=with a particular type of character)· Find out your personality type by answering our simple questionnaire.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· The interplay of these very different personalities with Beckett's mercurial temperament results in fascinating and varied music.· Again, they may have been one Goddess whose different sides became assigned to different personalities.· Vyner, as he was known, was a very different personality from his father.· You have to have good hosts, guys with different backgrounds and personalities.· It would finally make her into a different personality.· His correspondence revealed a very different personality than what detectives had described.· I've had a series of producers, all with very different personalities.· Actually, we both have different personalities, and we are totally different people.
· Konstantin Schmidt von Knobelsdorf was undoubtedly a most forceful personality.· In contrast to Burt, Bob was a big man whose height and girth substantiated his forceful, dominant personality.· But through her looks and forceful personality she quickly became Britain's best known actress of the 50's.· She was a forceful personality who did not suffer fools gladly, but her sternness was accompanied by grace and Victorian courtesy.
· Idleness is at root alien to human personality.· But the human personality of a particular body is not superfluous when we fall in love with some one whose body it is.· Abraham Maslow has drawn up a model of seven motivational needs, all of which are basic to human personality.· Whereas human personality is present in bodies, divine personality is present in what is inanimate also.· Politicians rarely change sides unless their instinct is purely one of self-preservation, human personalities remain predictably the same.
· Judge them by their product and not their individual personalities.· But the current penchant for mixing styles has placed new importance on that special little table with an individual personality.· Despite this the finale still manages to ride on a wave bigger than any individual personality, bigger than the music itself.· The psychological counterpart is an acknowledgement of the many aspects of an individual personality.· Firstly, children should be able to establish reasons why there are individual differences in personality traits and emotional reactions.· General rules are difficult to give because each disciplinary encounter is unique, given the specific circumstances and the individual personalities involved.· Secondly, the impact of individual personality traits are considered.· At local level, control exerted by NGOs varies widely, depending on their philosophy, their economic clout, and individual personalities.
· The distinctive attributes of the company, separate legal personality and limited liability, are beyond the reach of private agreement.· Unlike a company, a partnership possesses no legal personality separate from the partners that comprise it.· Agency and partnership Agency may be regarded as an extension of legal personality.· The property of a partnership belongs to all the partners in common, since the partnership itself has no legal personality.· This theory treats the company as an artificial entity whose separate legal personality is granted as a privilege by the state.
· On one end is daydreaming, on the other, multiple personality.· He pulls the old multiple personality excuse.· Austin would apparently give Mach, said to be free of AT&T code, multiple personalities like OS/2 or OSF/1.
· Some or the political personalities saw it as a new political pressure point on the Westminster government.· Television, a medium of hits and stars, turns political personalities into national celebrities comparable to entertainment stars.· A political personality does not necessarily have to be eloquent or even verbally articulate to come across well on the television screen.· For Barber, key personality traits define each of the four types of political personality.· This last question is at the heart of the disagreement about the value of such political personality studies.· Recent analyses of the political personality of top leaders often take a more explicitly psychoanalytic perspective.· Barber acknowledges that political personality is not deterministic in a strict sense.· The most focused research on political personality has studied top political leaders.
· Although she remained a strong, happy, powerful personality everything about her seemed transformed.· The similarities in their powerful personalities and political activism are obvious.· It was Alain's presence, his powerful personality, his devastating masculinity.· Their keen intellects and powerful personalities could spark off more than just brilliant ideas at times.· Berton was a powerful personality, a cocksure businessman with a fast-talking line in hard sell.· Roman came into the room and it seemed to shrink before his powerful personality.· It may well be that risk-taking companies are managed by risk-taking individuals with powerful personalities.· If the figure was too high, many future decisions could still be influenced by powerful personalities.
· As tonight attests, a tape of two halves was the product of a band with a split personality.· Schizophrenia is classified as a functional psychosis and split personality as a dissociative hysterical neurosis, as different as tonsillitis and appendicitis.
· Azhag was not entirely Azhag any more, the immeasurably strong personality of Nagash was gradually eating him away.· But none had to manage so many strong personalities and get so many others to understand their roles.· Plas Newydd is dominated by his strong personality.· Yes, I have a strong personality.· Always the strong personalities had great power of influence.· The battle between Beck and Mackenzie, two strong and stubborn personalities, was over, at least for the moment.· Even allowing for these limitations, Smythson's is the strongest architectural personality to have survived from the Elizabethan and Jacobean age.· The heavily favored Cowboys dominated the news with their strong personalities and big egos.
NOUN· She's well regarded, except at times in her local supermarket where Phyllis occasionally undergoes something of a personality change.· Although the patients could leave the asylum, they often demonstrated some personality changes.· The loss of spontaneity and initiative may be accompanied by personality changes, anxiety and restlessness, particularly around tea time.· Even more disconcerting were the personality changes.· And the trauma had caused personality changes which made him irritable and difficult to live with.· But for me the agent for personality change is not hormonal.· He may suffer a severe personality change from which he might not recover.· Two members, however, seem to have undergone a major personality change.
· Eysenck's theory depends on a high correlation between criminality and particular personality characteristics identified by personality tests.· What personality characteristics do you think are desirable in a political leader?· During the first few years of life, enduring personality characteristics are established.· Psychologists have never had much success at defining which personality characteristics are inherited in humans and which are not.· But in fact lawyers vary all over the lot in their personality characteristics.· Other event-producing situations are unrelated to an individual's approach to life or personality characteristics.· There are also personality characteristics which are manifested both as strengths and weaknesses.
· But it is not just this personality clash that is driving Solidarity-as-we-know-it to extinction.· There is talk of personality clashes, and sniping against the campaign chairman, Tony Coelho.· Blaming a personality clash within the department for her ultimatum, she said she would resume work when her back was better.· Where there is a personality clash, the learner should be re-allocated to another clinical teacher.· They turned out to be a good power-rock band doomed by personality clashes and their own audacity.
· Propping up the world's most enduring dictator is a slavish personality cult, and rigid control of the nation.· But at no time is this conditioning of mild hysteria and personality cult a wholesome thing.· However, Nyerere was said to be personally opposed to this kind of personality cult, and eventually the policy was changed.· It was also a result of the growth of the press, which delighted in personality cults.· I don't agree with people who say it was just a leadership personality cult effort.· Mr Koizumi is the centre of a virtual personality cult in his homeland, with support ratings of almost 90 %.· The Sicilian tyrants did not, however, take the personality cult as far as the successors of Alexander.
· And they were shocked to hear at the end of the three-month trial that Allitt suffered from a dangerous personality disorder.· Defense psychiatrist George Woods diagnosed Davis as suffering three specific personality disorders.· Other studies suggest that personality disorders are relatively uncommon in anorexia nervosa.· Typically, psychological problems and personality disorders compound as obesity creates a different view of reality.· This personality disorder is characterised by a lack of guilt and an inability to keep rules or form lasting relationships.· Psychologist Lenore Walker argued for eliminating personality disorders altogether because of bias.· She is an elderly lady, she has had one stroke, and she has a personality disorder.· If Atlanta were a person, a psychologist might well render a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder.
· But the scenery was not all friendly here where conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh grew up.· We have a number of radio personalities on public broadcasting who write books.
· One embarrassing experience involved Jan Leeming, the television personality, who was taking part in a film I was producing.· In this story, the crows represent different television personalities.· One well-known television personality is said to be rather hard on the teleprompter operators.
· Eysenck's theory depends on a high correlation between criminality and particular personality characteristics identified by personality tests.· They were also given personality tests, since some studies have found an association between susceptibility to infections and personality type.· Personality is an area of subjectivity he avoids, despite the proliferation of personality tests.· Ask him if he would mind taking a personality test.· They do not judge personality, nor do they use personality tests.· On the following trip, 1 interviewed every-one who worked with Ed and asked him to take a series of personality tests.
· Is it associated with remediable personality traits?· Initially, they defined the personality traits of those with this syndrome: Authoritarians are extremely conventional in their attitudes and morality.· For Barber, key personality traits define each of the four types of political personality.· What are the personality traits of Chemical Dependency?· As a result, they are unable ever to get beyond the personality traits they find irritating.· Secondly, the impact of individual personality traits are considered.
· State institutions, we should remember, can change a good deal faster than child-rearing regimes or basic personality types.· They were also given personality tests, since some studies have found an association between susceptibility to infections and personality type.· This is concerned with groupings based upon personality types, including life styles.· No particular personality type seemed to predominate.· A particular personality type is said to be favoured: those with good listening skills who will implement party decisions without question.· Below are a few of the personality types which are the result of habit and conditioning.
VERB· I felt we had to find and develop talk personalities who could be entertaining as well as erudite.· Every one of these older persons is a fully developed personality.· He developed the classic personality of the tycoon: huge ambition combined with enormous charm and total ruthlessness.· Do you have to develop a personality well-suited to golf to become good at golf?· They have excellent, fully developed personalities and even interact with each other and their environments.· But we are given no clues as to why some people should develop such personality traits.· Through the integration of feminine role learning with self-definition, housekeeping behaviours tend to be developed as personality functions.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- Among them was Christopher Hitchens, the Washington-based writer, a figure of magnetic charm and great volubility.
WORD FAMILYnounpersonpersonalitypersonapersonagethe personalspersonificationpersonneladjectivepersonal ≠ impersonalpersonalizedpersonableverbpersonalizepersonifyadverbpersonally ≠ impersonally
1[countable, uncountable] someone’s character, especially the way they behave towards other people: Despite their different personalities, they became the best of friends. Unfortunately, the illness can lead to changes in personality. → split personality2[countable] someone who is very famous and often appears in the newspapers, on television etc, especially an entertainer or sports personTV/radio/sports personality one of the most well-liked TV personalities► see thesaurus at star3[uncountable] the qualities of character that make someone interesting or enjoyable to be with: He’s honest but he lacks personality.4[countable usually singular] someone who has a very strong character and is very different from other people: He was a dynamic personality in the business world.5[countable usually singular] the qualities which make a place or thing different and interesting: It’s partly the architecture which gives the town its personality.COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa strong personality· Mercer has a strong personality and always tells you his opinion.a forceful personality· The architect’s forceful personality ensured that the work progressed rapidly.a dominant personality (=controlling other people)· He had a dominant personality and could be a bit of a bully.a warm personality (=friendly and kind to people)· Everyone who knew Roseanne will miss her warm personality.an outgoing/extrovert personality (=liking to talk to people)· The job requires someone with an outgoing personality.an engaging personality (=pleasant, so that people like you)· He is strikingly handsome with a very engaging personality.a bubbly personality (=happy and eager to do things)· Her bright and bubbly personality made her one of the most popular girls in her year.a lively/vivacious personality (=liking to meet and talk to people)· Her lively personality won her many admirers.a charismatic personality (=strong and attractive, so that people admire and respect you)· Like many other people, I was attracted by his charismatic personality.personality + NOUNa personality trait formal (=a part of your personality)· She shares many of her mother’s personality traits.a personality disorder (=a mental illness affecting someone’s personality)· The hospital treats patients with severe personality disorders.a personality clash (=when people cannot work together because they are so different)· The band eventually split because of personality clashes.a personality test· Employers are increasingly using personality tests to help them select staff.