Impersonal describes something that is not shapedformed or influenced by something by personal feelings, relationships, or individual attention. It can also mean neutral or detachedemotionally separated; not personally involved in judgmentan opinion or decision about something or criticism.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˌɪmˈpɝsənəl/
Easy pronunciation: im-PUR-suh-nuhl (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress is on the second syllable: PUR. The first syllable is unstressed, and the final two syllables are reduced.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Impersonal Meaning
not warm, personal, or individual in style or treatment
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: not relating to or responsive to individual people; lacking personal warmth or involvement
Example: The email sounded impersonal, as if it had been sent to everyone at once.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- neutral — Works when the meaning is detached and not personally involved.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Impersonal
Meaning 2
fair and not influenced by personal feelings or bias
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: having no personal preference
Example: The judge tried to give an impersonal review of the case.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- neutral — Fits when the focus is on absence of personal bias or preference.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Impersonal Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- neutral
not relating to or responsive to individual people; lacking personal warmth or involvement
- neutral
having no personal preference
- neutral
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using impersonal to mean 'unfriendly' in every case; it often means detached, formal, or not personally directed.
- Confusing impersonal with personal, which is the opposite in many contexts.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does impersonal mean?
Impersonal means lacking personal feeling, individual attention, or emotional warmth. It can also describe something neutral and not based on personal preference.
What is a simple synonym for impersonal?
Neutral is the closest simple synonym in many contexts, especially when impersonal means detached or unbiased.
Is impersonal the opposite of personal?
Yes, in many uses it is. Personal suggests individual, personal, or warm involvement, while impersonal suggests distance or lack of personal connection.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.