Pronunciation: (pûr"su-nal'i-tē), [key]
1. the visible aspect of one's character as it impresses others: He has a pleasing personality.
2. a person as an embodiment of a collection of qualities: He is a curious personality.
a. the sum total of the physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics of an individual.
b. the organized pattern of behavioral characteristics of the individual.
4. the quality of being a person; existence as a self-conscious human being; personal identity.
5. the essential character of a person.
6. something apprehended as reflective of or analogous to a distinctive human personality, as the atmosphere of a place or thing: This house has a warm personality.
7. a famous, notable, or prominent person; celebrity.
8. application or reference to a particular person or particular persons, often in disparagement or hostility.
9. a disparaging or offensive statement referring to a particular person: The political debate deteriorated into personalities.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.