Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - personal

~1 adj 1 »DONE YOURSELF« only before noun done, learned, or experienced by you yourself  (I know from personal experience that you can't trust Ralph. | The Mayor promised to give the matter his personal attention. | I'll take personal responsibility if this doesn't work. | personal contact (=meeting and dealing with people yourself directly))  (As you get promoted in a firm you lose that personal contact.) 2 »PRIVATE« concerning only you, especially the private areas of your life  (May I ask you a personal question? | personal problems | personal letters | I'd tell you what's wrong, but it's a bit personal. | personal details (=where you live, how old you are etc))  (You will have to fill out a form giving your personal details.) 3 »YOUR OWN« yours and no one else's  (Well, that's my personal view, anyway. | Modern art isn't to my personal taste. | my/their etc own personal)  (They paid for everything and then he was given his own personal chaffeur to drive him home. | personal possessions/property/belongings (=things belonging only to you) | personal effects formal (=small possessions))  (personal effects scattered all around the wreckage of an aircraft) 4 »CRITICIZING« involving rude or upsetting criticism of someone  (It's unprofessional to make such personal remarks. | get personal)  (You don't have to get so personal! | (it's) nothing personal spoken (=used to tell someone that you do not intend to be rude to them))  (It's nothing personal, I just have to go home now.) 5 personal friend someone that you know well, especially a famous or important person  (Apparently the director is a personal friend of hers.) 6 »NOT OFFICIAL« not concerned with your work, business, or official duties  (Please try not to make personal phone calls at work. | sb's personal life)  (I don't answer questions about my personal life.) 7 »YOUR BODY« only before noun concerning your body or the way you look  (Grant was always fussy about his personal appearance. | personal hygiene) 8 personal touch something you do to make something special, or that makes someone feel special  (It's those extra personal touches that make our service better.) 9 personal development the improvements in your character that come from your experiences in life  (the role of physical activities in the child's development) ~2 n AmE a short advertisement put in a newspaper or magazine by someone who wants a friend or lover