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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in identity

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Former Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is one of the pregame, halftime and postgame personalities. — Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Pittsburgh was matched with Pete, the longtime rival of Mickey Mouse known for his gruff personality and larger-than-life presence. — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 The film’s Indian distribution will be handled by media personality Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Sep. 2026 That car also seemed to fit his puppy-like personality, which has also been changing over the years into the sheer determination required of a Formula 1 champion. — Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for personality

Recent Examples of Synonyms for personality

Noun

Johnson looked to Tracey Cunningham—the celebrity colorist and Schwarzkopf Professional US creative director of color and technique—for the job.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Sep. 2026
Its celebrity pedigree is astonishing (spokespersons and fans include Jane Fonda, Martha Stewart, Andie MacDowell, Heidi Klum, etc), its offerings are robust, and many, if not most of its products, are five-star successes.

— Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of celebrity

Noun

Its identity centers on the Modified Tanto profile, pronounced geometric surfaces and visual continuity between the blade and titanium handle.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
This is a historically fragmented industry, with different vendors for different kinds of services, such as firewall, threat detection, and identity.

— Zev Fima, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of identity

Noun

Her words, actions, and example gave people permission to be their truest selves.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
With no signs of cancerous growth or the grafts migrating, the process appears relatively safe, opening the way for further research into self-transplants made of mature muscle cells as a means of treating numerous conditions.

— Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of self

Noun

He was subsequently dismissed by Dior and, months later, found guilty by a French court of making public insults based on origin, religion, race, or ethnicity.

— Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 31 Aug. 2026
The arrest came after Kelley Wolf had reportedly made a series of hostile social media posts, which featured insults and allegations against various friends and family, including her ex-husband, Wolf.

— Edward Segarra, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of insult

Noun

Brad Pitt sent a message to George Clooney as the Michael Clayton star was honored Wednesday at the Venice International Film Festival.

— Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Marchese spent the past 12 years as a senior executive at Studio71, another creator media firm that handled distribution and advertising sales representation for a range of digital-native stars.

— William Earl, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of star

Noun

Behold the plight of the Ryan Murphy character, cursed to behave nonsensically and flit wildly from plotline to plotline based on the writer’s whims.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
At the center, a Geometric CNC Fuller visually reduces the mass of the blade while reinforcing Razorbill's distinctive multi-faceted character.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 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

Cite this Entry

Style

“Personality.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/personality. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of personality

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