Impersonal

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Impersonal

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

im-PUR-suh-nul  /ɪmˈpəːs(ə)n(ə)l/

Definition

Not influenced by, showing, or involving personal feelings; lacking human warmth; (of a style, organisation, or environment) without human character or individuality; (in grammar) denoting a verb construction without a personal subject.

Plain meaning

Impersonal means lacking personal warmth or individual human character. An impersonal letter is a form letter — addressed to no specific person. An impersonal organisation is one where you feel like a number rather than a person. Impersonal service is efficient but cold. In grammar, an impersonal verb construction is one without a personal subject: it rains, it seems, it is said. The word describes the absence of personal connection or character.

Register

Neutral to mildly negative. Impersonal in the grammatical sense is neutral. In everyday use, calling something impersonal implies criticism — the absence of warmth, personal attention, or human connection is a deficiency. The word is widely used in discussions of bureaucracy, institutional care, and the alienating effects of modern scale.