impersonal
/im'pə:snl/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Lacking personal reference or connection: Describing something that does not involve, show, or relate to individual people, feelings, or preferences. It is objective and detached.
- Not influenced by, showing, or involving personal feelings: Characterized by an absence of human warmth, individuality, or emotional involvement.
- (Grammar) Of a verb or construction: Denoting a verb or a grammatical structure that is used without a specified subject, often with a formal subject like "it" or "there".
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The report was written in a very impersonal style, focusing only on the data.
- Large government agencies can sometimes feel impersonal to the people they serve.
- In the sentence "It is raining," the verb "is" is used in an impersonal construction.
Advanced Usage
- "Impersonal forces": Refers to large, abstract influences (like economic trends or societal changes) that are not controlled by any single person.
- The characters in the novel were swept along by impersonal forces of history.
- "Impersonal pronoun": A grammatical term for a pronoun (like "it" in "It is cold") that does not refer to a specific person or thing.
Variants and Related Words
- Impersonally (adverb): In an impersonal manner.
- The manager addressed the team impersonally through a mass email.
- Impersonality (noun): The quality of being impersonal.
- The impersonality of modern city life can be isolating.
Synonyms
- Objective: Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions.
- Detached: Aloof and objective; not emotionally involved.
- Neutral: Not supporting or favoring any side; impartial.
- Faceless: Lacking individuality or character, often describing large organizations.
Antonyms
- Personal: Of, affecting, or belonging to a particular person.
- Subjective: Based on or influenced by personal feelings and opinions.
- Intimate: Closely acquainted; familiar and private.
Related Phrases and Constructions
- Impersonal verb: A verb, often used with "it," that expresses an action or state without a specific subject performing it.
- "To rain," "to snow," and "to seem" can function as impersonal verbs.
- Impersonal 'it': The use of the pronoun "it" as a formal subject in sentences about weather, time, or distance.
- It is getting late. (Impersonal 'it' referring to time)
Adjective
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having no personal preference
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impersonal criticism
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a neutral observer
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not relating to or responsive to individual persons
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an impersonal corporation
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an impersonal remark
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