PERSONALITY Synonyms: 154 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'personality' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of personality are character , disposition , temperament , and temper . While all these words mean "the dominant quality or qualities distinguishing a person or group," personality applies to an aggregate of qualities that distinguish one as a person. // a somber personality

Q: When is it sensible to use 'character' instead of 'personality'?

Although the words character and personality have much in common, character applies to the aggregate of moral qualities by which a person is judged apart from intelligence, competence, or special talents. // strength of character

Q: In what contexts can 'disposition' take the place of 'personality'?

In some situations, the words disposition and personality are roughly equivalent. However, disposition implies customary moods and attitude toward the life around one. // a cheerful disposition

Q: When would 'temper' be a good substitute for 'personality'?

While in some cases nearly identical to personality , temper implies the qualities acquired through experience that determine how a person or group meets difficulties or handles situations. // a resilient temper

Q: When is 'temperament' a more appropriate choice than 'personality'?

The words temperament and personality can be used in similar contexts, but temperament implies a pattern of innate characteristics associated with one's specific physical and nervous organization. // an artistic temperament

personality

noun

ˌpər-sə-ˈna-lə-tē

Definition of personality

as in celebrity

a person who is widely known and usually much talked about a local television personality who is beloved by area residents

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in identity

the set of qualities that make a person different from other people she's got a great personality

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in self

the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others it has never been in the nation's personality to adhere to a rigid class system

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as in insult

an act or expression showing scorn and usually intended to hurt another's feelings every debate that was supposedly about the issues quickly degenerated into a juvenile exchange of personalities

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word personality distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of personality are character, disposition, temperament, and temper. While all these words mean "the dominant quality or qualities distinguishing a person or group," personality applies to an aggregate of qualities that distinguish one as a person.

a somber personality

When is it sensible to use character instead of personality?

Although the words character and personality have much in common, character applies to the aggregate of moral qualities by which a person is judged apart from intelligence, competence, or special talents.

strength of character

In what contexts can disposition take the place of personality?

In some situations, the words disposition and personality are roughly equivalent. However, disposition implies customary moods and attitude toward the life around one.

a cheerful disposition

When would temper be a good substitute for personality?

While in some cases nearly identical to personality, temper implies the qualities acquired through experience that determine how a person or group meets difficulties or handles situations.

a resilient temper

When is temperament a more appropriate choice than personality?

The words temperament and personality can be used in similar contexts, but temperament implies a pattern of innate characteristics associated with one's specific physical and nervous organization.

an artistic temperament

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of personality With age, dogs can develop a condition similar to Alzheimer’s disease that affects their personality and behavior. — Jane Sykes, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026 At 33, Martinez could tick those boxes as well as adding vast experience, winning pedigree and another big personality to Alonso’s youthful squad. — David Ornstein, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 But sitting around doing nothing didn’t exactly fit his personality. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 Buy the wavy mirror, add the odd stool or conversation piece and wait for personality to arrive. — Steven Weill, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for personality

Recent Examples of Synonyms for personality

Noun

Ramon Hervey helped engineer the careers of many celebrities.

— Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
Following Parton’s death, numerous celebrities took to social media to share tributes honoring Parton, many of whom include musicians and actors who had worked with Parton before.

— Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of celebrity

Noun

Șerban draws on her own experience to explore identity and belonging from a Roma woman’s perspective.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
The identities of the four people on board have not been released, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.

— Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of identity

Noun

Sweet Humans is about believing in and elevating independent stories and voices, and building something together where everyone can be their authentic selves.

— Matthew Carey, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026
My mother was never one for parting phrases, mainly because she was overwhelmed by a form of timidity that verged on self-erasure.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of self

Noun

Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, Jack White, every living president, Jane Fonda, and countless more have all mourned the beloved star.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 27 Aug. 2026
The late star had also been a co-owner of Sandollar Productions alongside her former manager, Sandy Gallin, which produced Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Father of the Bride and Sabrina, among others.

— Lars Brandle, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of star

Noun

The Oscar-winning actress has written a new musical stage adaptation around the character, set to open on London’s prestigious theater scene in the summer of 2027.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
The entire ensemble of cast led by Manoj, Divya, and Boman bring an incredible depth to their characters.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of character

Noun

All three projects will collectively contribute to better measurements of how cosmic structure is changing over time—crucial information for clarifying the nature of dark energy and dark matter in the universe’s evolution.

— Lee Billings, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2026
While the moves are not dramatic, the elevated nature of yields has added to the debt burden, putting interest paid as the largest federal expenditure outside Social Security and Medicare.

— Kevin Breuninger,Jeff Cox, CNBC, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of nature

Noun

The other presidents had some semblance of comedic appreciation, whether through cynicism, irony, sarcasm, joke-telling, joke appreciation or storytelling.

— John Blumenthal, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
Like all of Roth’s content, there is a mix of dead seriousness, dry sarcasm, and wondrous joy in equal measure.

— Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of sarcasm

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“Personality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/personality. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of personality

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