Dictionary

personable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

(Received-Pronunciation) audio
/ˈpɜːs(ə)nəbəl/
/ˈpɜːsn̩əbl/
/ˈpɜɹs(ə)nəb(ə)l/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Late Middle English personable, personabil (“having a pleasing appearance, handsome”), and then from both of the following: * For sense 1 (“having a pleasing appearance”) and sense 2 (“having a pleasant manner”) (these senses are not found in Old French or Medieval Latin), probably from person, personne, persoun (“individual, person”) + -āble (suffix meaning ‘able or worthy to be’ forming adjectives). * For sense 3.1 (“synonym of personal”) and sense 3.2 (“being a legal person”), from Middle French personable and Old French personable, and from their etymon Medieval Latin personābilis (“personal”), possibly from Medieval Latin persōna (“person”) + Latin -ābilis (suffix meaning ‘able or worthy to be’). By surface analysis, person + -able (suffix meaning ‘relevant or suitable to’).

Meanings

Of a person: having a pleasing appearance; attractive; handsome.
- I admit him a personable man, for I have seen him; and I will suppose him courteous and agreeable. 1822 May 29, [Walter Scott], chapter VIII, in The Fortunes of Nigel. […], volume II (in English), Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC, page 182:
- I vvas Tall and Perſonable, but a little too ſmooth Fac'd for a Man; hovvever as I ſeldom vvent Abroad, but in the Night it did vvell enough; […] 1722 (indicated as 1721), [Daniel Defoe], The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c. […], London: […] W[illiam Rufus] Chetwood, […]; and T. Edling, […], published 1722, →OCLC, page 263:
- He regarded himself as dressed. Barefoot, bare-chested, radiant and personable against the shadowy woods, he called: "Hullo, Miss Honeychurch! Hullo!" 1908, E[dward] M[organ] Forster, “Twelfth Chapter”, in A Room with a View, London: Edward Arnold, →OCLC, part II, page 204:
- We ſee one woman, whiche by one man hath manie children, of theym ſome be fayre and perſonable, ſome ill fauoured and croked, […] 1541, [Aelius Lampridius], “The Oracion of the Emperour Alexãder to the People of Rome”, in Thomas Elyote [i.e., Thomas Elyot], transl., The Image of Gouernaunce Complied of the Actes and Sentences Notable, of the Most Noble Emperour Alexander Seuerus, […], [London]: […] Thomas Berthelett, published 1549, →OCLC, folio 102, recto:
Of a person: having a pleasant manner; amiable, friendly.
- The much more sophisticated and personable chatbots of today are the “Eliza effect on steroids,” [Sherry] Turkle said. 2025 December 19, Kashmir Hill, quoting Sherry Turkle, “Why Do A.I. Chatbots Use ‘I’?”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 Dec 2025:
- A thouſand thoughts ſhe faſhioned in her mind, / And in her feigning fancie did pourtray / Him ſuch, as fitteſt he for loue could find, / VViſe, vvarlike, perſonable, courteous, and kind. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 5, page 445:
- I'm bound to admit that you're a personable young rascal, with the best manners I've met in a long time, but I warn you that you can't go far. 1919, Joseph A[lexander] Altsheler, “Music in the Moonlight”, in The Sun of Quebec: A Story of a Great Crisis (The French and Indian War Series; 6), New York, N.Y.: Appleton-Century-Crofts, →OCLC, page 88:
- Aside from being incredibly funny and personable he [David] Letterman is generous, kind and is great fun to play catch with. 2003 September 22, Randy James, quoting Stephanie Birkitt, “2-Min. Bio: Stephanie Birkitt: Letterman's Lover?”, in Time, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., published 5 October 2009, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 Oct 2010:
(obsolete, rare) Synonym of personal (“done in person, without an intermediary”).
(obsolete) Being a legal person and thus able to maintain a plea in court, or to hold some property or right.
- It is enacted, that the Kings Letters Patents hereafter enſuing made to Queen Elizabeth of her dovver, ſhall be good, and that the Queen be by that name perſonable to plead, and be impleaded, that parcell of her dovver aſſigned by the Kings Letters Patents under the ſeal of the Dutchy of Lancaſter be good, albeit there be no livery and ſeiſin delivered vpon the ſame, vvherein are certain proviſions. [1468, “Petitions of the Commons, with Their Summons”, in William Prynne, editor, An Exact Abridgement of the Records in the Tower of London, from the Reign of King Edward the Second, unto King Richard the Third, […], London: […] William Leake […], published 1657, →OCLC, page 683:
- The demaundant vvas iudged perſonable to maintaine this action. […] The tenent pleaded that the vvife vvas an alien borne in Portingall vvithout the ligeance of the King, and Iudgement vvas asked vvhether ſhe vvould be anſvvered. The plaintife ſaith: ſhee vvas made perſonable by Parlament, that is, as the Ciuillians vvould ſpeake it, habere perſonam ſtandi in iudicio. 1607, Iohn [i.e., John] Cowell, “Personable”, in The Interpreter: Or Booke Containing the Signification of Words: Wherein is Set Foorth the True Meaning of All, or the Most Part of Such Words and Terms, as are Mentioned in the Lawe Writers, or Statutes of This Victorious and Renowned Kingdome, Requiring any Exposition or Interpretation. […], Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Iohn Legate, →OCLC, signature Bbb 4, recto, column 1:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
parsonable		alternative	lexicographic
more personable	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic
personible		alternative	lexicographic
most personable	Degree=Sup		lexicographic

Translations (19)

pl sympatyczny (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · fi miellyttävä (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · ga pearsanta (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · fi mukava (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · ga dathúil (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · de ansehnlich (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · de freundlich (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · bg представителен (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · ga pearsantach (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · es simpatico (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · es amable (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · sv trevlig (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · pl przyjazny (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · nl aantrekkelijk (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · no elskverdig, godlynt, vennlig (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · de von angenehmer Erscheinung (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · pl przyjemny (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · de sympathisch (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly) · ru приятный (of a person: having a pleasant manner — see also amiable, friendly)

personable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Antonyms

Deriveds

Synonyms

Translations (19)