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Glite Dictionary
nonpersonal

nonpersonal

1 6.7
Not about a particular person and not showing private feelings
  • adjective
  • /nɒnˈpɜːrsənl/
: impersonal
  • Unless a person can cite some nonpersonal source for his talk about important areas of life, his statements lack value.

Examples

  • In the report, nonpersonal viewpoints were prioritized to present a balanced analysis.

  • The company's policy is based on nonpersonal criteria to ensure fairness in hiring.

  • Second, if a withdrawal rate is higher than average for a particular professor, then active measures, based on all nonpersonal issues identified, can be taken to improve the course retention rate.

    Academic text (1995)

  • It had to be supplemented with other, imaginative, and nonpersonal factors, which in a mysterious way would guide an able person toward his opportunity.

    Academic text (1991)

  • All of these categories—personal knowledge, knowledge through language, or nonpersonal knowledge—are marked grammatically, as constantly and as insistently as our number.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The lecture focused on nonpersonal observations that could apply to anyone in the field.

Synonyms

impersonal
vsnonpersonal
31 5.1

Not showing personal feelings or warmth and seeming distant

expresses a wider lack of individual characteristics or uniqueness rather than tone
unpersonalized
vsnonpersonal
1 6.3

Not made for one person and the same for everyone

includes lack of individual characteristics or uniqueness rather than only being generic

Antonyms

personal
∞ 1.4

Relating to a particular person's character, feelings, or private life

How Personal

personalized
  • US
51 4.1
personal
34 2.7
nonpersonal
1 6.7
impersonal
31 5.1
general
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

nonpersonal positive

Morphology

nonpersonal = personal (transparent) = non + person + al

The adjective is formed by adding the productive negative prefix 'non-' to the familiar adjective 'personal', yielding a straightforward negation.

Etymology

Nonpersonal is made of the prefix non- meaning 'not' and personal, from person meaning 'a person', so it literally means 'not about a person'. That's why something nonpersonal does not involve a particular person or personal feelings.