personification

noun

pər-ˌsä-nə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce personification (audio)
Definition of personificationnext
as in manifestation
a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality) he's the personification of kindness

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 personification Most memorable is the adaptation of Twain’s Mysterious Stranger, a supernatural tale in which the personification of evil grants tiny clay people life, only to then confront them with great hardship. — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026 The vitality of her language, its frolicsome dance with personification, communicates its own resistance in the face of an indifferent world, exploited by imperialist greed and barbaric, militant might. — Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 June 2026 Defined by her beauty and its capacity to both beguile and betray, she can be interpreted as a destructive force and personification of the male fear of female autonomy. — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026 The sunniest way to view the system is as a personification of the interactive book Neal Stephenson wrote about in his novel The Diamond Age. — Steven Levy, Wired News, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for personification
Recent Examples of Synonyms for personification
  1. manifestation
  2. incarnation
  3. image
Noun
  • Pursued by monstrous entities and confronted by manifestations of human suffering, Dante and Virgil will eventually come face to face with the Devil himself.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But as the brand continues to grow, dealing with the manifestation of a dream is quite nice.
    — Judith Garrison, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of manifestation
Noun
  • Casting has not yet been announced for the Broadway incarnation.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Heisenberg and Schrödinger had come up with two radically different incarnations of one theory.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of incarnation
Noun
  • Following Abloh’s death in November 2021, Kamara was appointed as art and image director and presented his first show, Spring/Summer 2023, in Paris that year.
    — Luke Leitch, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The telescope’s first images are expected in the beginning months of 2027.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of image

Browse Nearby Words

personators
personification
personifications
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Personification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/personification. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on personification

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about personification

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All