persona non grata
11
9.4
- noun
- /pərˈsoʊnə nɒn ˈɡrɑːtə/
- Formal
:
persona non grata
- The ambassador's remark made him persona non grata in the host country.
And if they don't, they'll be persona non grata in Camden.
- And if they don't, they'll be persona non grata in Camden.
- And he was then considered persona non grata.
- He mentions that if she's a widow, she can remarry, but if not, she's persona non grata.
Examples
-
That is the typical academic response, though, you know, she is persona non grata in most places in academia.
-
And Travis is persona non grata with the whole team.
-
Well, I was with him when the story broke about Prince Charles, and that made him persona non grata with the Royal Family.
-
The man should be persona non grata anywhere freedom is valued.
Blog text (19) -
During the last administration, unions were persona non grata.
Academic text (2010) -
Except for the fact that I'm persona non grata at the FBI at the moment.
-
But Regina was persona non grata on the project.
Fiction book (1999) -
Russell had always been grudgingly welcomed there, but he, like Elson, became persona non grata.
Fiction book (1999) -
And if they don't, they'll be persona non grata in Camden.
-
An accredited diplomat, even in Baghdad, can avoid such unpleasantness; if caught spying, he will merely be declared persona non grata and expelled.
Fiction book (1994)
Synonyms
8
6.0
A person who others do not want in a group because they behave badly
2
3.8
A person who comes to an event without being invited or wanted
A person who is not wanted in a place or group
Antonyms
How Repelling
Surface Forms
Morphology
persona + non + grata
The Latin components are directly compositional: 'persona' = person, 'non' = not, and 'grata' ≈ pleasing/welcome, so a learner who knows those parts can infer 'a person not welcome'. Although it is a formal Latin loan used as a fixed diplomatic term, the literal constituent meanings map clearly onto the idiomatic sense and are reinforced by cognates in many languages.
Etymology
Persona non grata comes from Latin used by governments and ambassadors; it breaks into persona (person), non (not) and grata (welcome), so it was a formal way to say someone must leave and was 'not welcome'. That's why today persona non grata means a person who is 'not welcome' or 'unacceptable' in a place or group.