impersonal
/ɪmˈpɝsənəl/adjective, noun
impersonal is spelled I-M-P-E-R-S-O-N-A-L: 10 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,974th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, impersonal means “Not personal; not representing a person; not having personality” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in impersonal?
| Letters | 10: I-M-P-E-R-S-O-N-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 31,974th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is impersonal?
Impersonal appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,974th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce impersonal?
- US /ɪmˈpɝsənəl/
- /ɪmˈpɜː.sn̩.ɫ̩/
Impersonal has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-impersonal.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with impersonal?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as impersonal from its last stressed vowel (/ɜɹsənəl/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of impersonal
- more impersonal comparative
- most impersonal superlative
- impersonals plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does impersonal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not personal; not representing a person; not having personality.
- 2
Lacking warmth or emotion; cold.
She sounded impersonal as she gave her report of the Nazi death camps.
- 3
Not having a subject, or having a third person pronoun without an antecedent.
The verb “rain” is impersonal in sentences like “It’s raining.”
noun
- 1
An impersonal word or construct.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate impersonal?
Wiktionary records 3 abbreviations of impersonal: imp., impers, impers..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Impersonal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | unpersönlich |
| Spanish | impersonal |
| Portuguese | impessoal |
| French | impersonnel |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does impersonal come from?
From French impersonnel, from Latin impersōnālis, from im- (“not”) + persōnālis (“personal”), equivalent to im- + personal.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).