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

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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
  • One manifestation of that shift is a Holiday Inn Express ad campaign that ran for more than a decade beginning in 1998 and showed ordinary people completing complex tasks such as brain surgery that were far outside their professional expertise.
    — Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The dropping/suspension was the beginning of the end, or at least the most public manifestation of the beginning of the end.
    — Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of manifestation
Noun
  • But for this film incarnation of Graham’s story, Boyle wanted an Australian to portray the man labelled the ‘Dirty Digger’.
    — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The magazine’s modern incarnation covers bird migrations and competitive stone skipping, oversized roadside attractions and how to grow roses.
    — HubSpot, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 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
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Cite this Entry

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

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More from Merriam-Webster on personification

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about personification

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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