The word "impersonal", pronounced /ɪmˈpɜrsənəl/, is spelled as it sounds, with each letter corresponding to a specific sound in the English language. The "im" prefix is pronounced as /ɪm/ and means "not". The "per" is pronounced as /pɜr/ and the "son" as /sən/, forming the word "person". Finally, the "al" ending is pronounced as /əl/ and means "relating to". The word "impersonal" means lacking human emotion or individuality and is often used to describe formal or business-like interactions.
Impersonal is an adjective that describes something lacking personal or emotional connection, involvement, or attachment. It refers to situations, actions, behavior, or language that does not involve or reflect personal feelings, desires, or individual characteristics. When something is impersonal, it is detached, often objective, and free from personal bias.
In interpersonal relations, being impersonal means maintaining a professional distance and not allowing personal emotions to influence interactions. It implies a focus on the task at hand without being swayed by personal opinions or subjective considerations. Similarly, an impersonal environment or setting lacks a sense of individuality, personal touch, or warmth, often due to its highly regulated or standard nature.
Impersonal can also describe communication or writing that is formal, detached, and objective. This type of language avoids using personal pronouns, emotions, or addresses specific individuals. It aims to be unbiased, unemotional, and neutral, appealing more to facts and impersonal observations rather than personal experience or sentiment.
In summary, "impersonal" describes situations, actions, behavior, language, or environments that lack personal attachment or emotional involvement. It implies a detachment from personal biases, opinions, or subjective considerations. It can refer to interpersonal interactions, settings, or communication that is objective, formal, and unbiased, focusing on facts rather than emotions or individual experiences.
Not personal; said of verbs which are used only in the third person, with it for the nominative, as it rains.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "impersonal" is derived from the Latin word "impersonalis", which is a combination of the prefix "im-" meaning "not" or "without", and the word "personalis" which means "personal". Therefore, "impersonal" can be understood as something that lacks personal qualities or characteristics.