impersonal
UK: ɪmˈpɜːsənl | US: ɪmˈpɜːrsənl
adj. lacking human emotion or warmth; objective
adj. not referring to any specific individual; general
adj. (grammar) not indicating a specific person (e.g., "it" in "It is raining")
impersonal = im<not> + person<human> + al<adjective suffix>
- im<not>: Latin prefix "in-" (negation), assimilated to "im-" before "p."
- person<human>: From Latin "persona" (mask, character, individual).
- al<adjective suffix>: Latin "-alis," forming adjectives.
Etymology Origin:
The word "impersonal" emerged in Late Middle English (15th century) from Medieval Latin "impersonalis," combining "im-" (negation) + "personalis" (pertaining to a person). It originally described grammatical constructions without a specified subject (e.g., "It snows"). Over time, it expanded to describe detached or objective qualities, reflecting the Latin root "persona"—which itself evolved from theatrical masks to denote individual identity. The morphemes neatly dissect the concept: "not" + "person" + "adjective form."
The manager's feedback was impersonal and lacked constructive details.
"One should always be polite" is an impersonal way to give advice.
In German, "man" is an impersonal pronoun meaning "one" or "they."
The hotel room felt impersonal, with no personal touches.
Scientific writing often uses an impersonal tone to maintain objectivity.