Private vs. Personal — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on November 1, 2023
Private refers to something confidential or not public, while personal relates to an individual's unique needs or characteristics.
Difference Between Private and Personal
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Private pertains to the realm of confidentiality and restricted access, implying a level of secrecy or something not meant for public disclosure. Personal, however, delves into the attributes or matters concerning an individual, often related to personal preference, experiences, or characteristics.
A private conversation implies it is intended to be kept away from the public or a broader audience, potentially due to sensitive content. A personal conversation, though it might also be private, centers more on intimate, individual details rather than the exclusivity of the interaction.
Private entities, such as businesses, operate independently of the state, while personal ownership refers to the individual possession of an item, stressing the relationship between the item and the person. Both terms suggest a sense of exclusivity but from different standpoints.
The private aspect of life often deals with issues of privacy, such as personal data that one wishes to keep undisclosed. Conversely, personal aspects may include an individual’s taste in music, fashion, or hobbies, which, although unique to them, are not necessarily hidden from others.
In matters of space, a private room is one restricted to unauthorized personnel, possibly for reasons of security or propriety. A personal space, however, refers to the physical area immediately surrounding someone, into which any encroachment feels uncomfortable or invasive.
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Comparison Chart
Relation to
Confidentiality and restricted access.
Individual characteristics or needs.
Ownership
May imply corporate or non-public ownership.
Implies direct ownership by an individual.
Nature of Content
Often sensitive or proprietary.
Intimately related to an individual.
Use in Language
More formal and institutional.
More informal and individualistic.
Disclosure
Typically restricted or regulated.
Can be willingly shared or kept private.
Compare with Definitions
Private
Belonging to a particular person or group
She was admitted to a private hospital.
Personal
Pertaining to a specific individual
He took her comments as a personal insult.
Private
Not open to the public
The meeting is private and by invitation only.
Personal
Unique to one's character
He has a personal style of dressing.
Private
Guarded from sharing with others
He kept his thoughts private.
Personal
Intended for use by one person
She brought her personal laptop to the office.
Private
Solely for individual use
She enjoys reading in her private study.
Personal
Reflecting an individual choice
He made a personal decision to quit.
Private
Belonging to or for the use of one particular person or group of people only
His private plane
All bedrooms have private facilities
Personal
Belonging to or affecting a particular person rather than anyone else
Her personal fortune was recently estimated at £37 million
Private
(of a person) having no official or public role or position
The paintings were sold to a private collector
Personal
Of or concerning one's private life, relationships, and emotions rather than one's career or public life
The book describes his sporting career and gives little information about his personal life
Private
(of a service or industry) provided or owned by an individual or an independent, commercial company rather than the state
This research was carried out by private industry
Personal
Relating to a person's body
Personal hygiene
Private
The lowest rank in the army, below lance corporal or private first class.
Personal
Of or denoting one of the three persons.
Private
Short for private parts
Personal
Existing as a self-aware entity, not as an abstraction or an impersonal force
He rejected the notion of a personal God
Private
Secluded from the sight, presence, or intrusion of others
A private hideaway.
Personal
An advertisement or message in the personal column of a newspaper.
Private
Designed or intended for one's exclusive use
A private room.
Personal
Of or relating to a particular person; private
“Like their personal lives, women's history is fragmented, interrupted” (Elizabeth Janeway).
Private
Of or confined to the individual; personal
A private joke.
Private opinions.
Personal
Done, made, or performed in person
A personal appearance.
Private
Undertaken on an individual basis
Private studies.
Private research.
Personal
Done to or for or directed toward a particular person
A personal favor.
Private
Of, relating to, or receiving special hospital services and privileges
A private patient.
Personal
Concerning a particular person and that person's private business, interests, or activities; intimate
I have something personal to tell you.
Private
Not available for public use, control, or participation
A private club.
A private party.
Personal
Aimed pointedly at the most intimate aspects of a person, especially in a critical or hostile manner
An uncalled-for, highly personal remark.
Private
Belonging to a particular person or persons, as opposed to the public or the government
Private property.
Personal
Tending to make remarks, or be unduly questioning, about another's affairs
As the student debate got heated, it got personal.
Private
Of, relating to, or derived from nongovernment sources
Private funding.
Personal
Of or relating to the body or physical being
Personal cleanliness.
Private
Conducted and supported primarily by individuals or groups not affiliated with governmental agencies or corporations
A private college.
A private sanatorium.
Personal
Relating to or having the nature of a person or self-conscious being
Belief in a personal God.
Private
Enrolled in or attending a private school
A private student.
Personal
(Law) Of or relating to the person
Personal property as opposed to real property.
Personal jurisdiction as opposed to in rem jurisdiction.
Private
Capitalized in shares of stock that are held by a relatively small number of owners and are not traded on the open market
A private company.
A company that went private.
Took a company private.
Personal
(Grammar) Indicating grammatical person.
Private
Not holding an official or public position
A private citizen.
Personal
A personal item or notice in a newspaper.
Private
Not for public knowledge or disclosure; secret
Private papers.
A private communication.
Personal
Personals A column in a newspaper or magazine featuring personal notices.
Private
Not appropriate for use or display in public; intimate
Private behavior.
A private tragedy.
Personal
Pertaining to persons (human beings as opposed to things or animals).
Private
Placing a high value on personal privacy
A private person.
Personal
Of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals
Her song was her personal look at the values of friendship.
Personal values
Personal desire
Private
A noncommissioned rank in the US Army or Marine Corps that is below private first class.
Personal
Dealing with subjects about which one wishes (or people usually wish) to maintain privacy or discretion; not for public view; sensitive, intimate.
You can't read my diary—it is personal.
That's a very personal question.
I can't believe you went through my drawers and looked at all my personal things!
Personal reasons
Private
One who holds this rank or a similar rank in another military organization.
Personal
(euphemistic) Intended for sexual use.
Personal lubricant; personal massager
Private
Privates Private parts. Often used with the.
Personal
Pertaining to the external or bodily appearance; corporeal; bodily.
Personal charms
Private
Belonging to, concerning, or accessible only to an individual person or a specific group.
Her address is private; you can't have it.
Private papers
Personal
Done in person; without an intermediary.
A personal interview
A personal meeting
Personal settings
Private
Not accessible by the public.
Private property
Personal
Relating to an individual, their character, conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive manner
Personal reflections or remarks
Private
Not in governmental office or employment.
He quit public life, living quietly as a private citizen.
Personal
(grammar) Denoting a person or people.
A personal pronoun
Private
Not publicly known; not open; secret.
The identity of the beneficiaries of the trust is private.
Personal
Denoting ownership.
One's personal vehicle, as opposed to a company vehicle
Private
Protected from view or disturbance by others; secluded.
Can we go somewhere more private?
Personal
An advertisement by which an individual attempts to meet others with similar interests.
Private
Not traded by the public.
Private corporation
Personal
One's own property or asset
Private
Secretive; reserved.
He is a very private person.
Personal
Pertaining to human beings as distinct from things.
Every man so termed by way of personal difference.
Private
Not shared with another patient.
Personal
Of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals; peculiar or proper to private concerns; not public or general; as, personal comfort; personal desire.
The words are conditional, - If thou doest well, - and so personal to Cain.
Private
Accessible only to the class itself or instances of it, and not to other classes or even subclasses.
Personal
Pertaining to the external or bodily appearance; corporeal; as, personal charms.
Private
A soldier of the lowest rank in the army.
Personal
Done in person; without the intervention of another.
The immediate and personal speaking of God.
Private
A doctor working in privately rather than publicly funded health care.
Personal
Relating to an individual, his character, conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive manner; as, personal reflections or remarks.
Private
The genitals.
Personal
Denoting person; as, a personal pronoun.
Private
(obsolete) A secret message; a personal unofficial communication.
Personal
A movable; a chattel.
Private
(obsolete) Personal interest; particular business.
Personal
A short newspaper article about a particular person or group
Private
(obsolete) Privacy; retirement.
Personal
Concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality;
A personal favor
For your personal use
Personal papers
I have something personal to tell you
A personal God
He has his personal bank account and she has hers
Private
(obsolete) One not invested with a public office.
Personal
Particular to a given individual
Private
A private lesson.
If you want to learn ballet, consider taking privates.
Personal
Of or arising from personality;
Personal magnetism
Private
To make something hidden from the public (without deleting it permanently).
Personal
Intimately concerning a person's body or physical being;
Personal hygiene
Private
Belonging to, or concerning, an individual person, company, or interest; peculiar to one's self; unconnected with others; personal; one's own; not public; not general; separate; as, a man's private opinion; private property; a private purse; private expenses or interests; a private secretary.
Personal
Indicating grammatical person;
Personal verb endings
Private
Sequestered from company or observation; appropriated to an individual; secret; secluded; lonely; solitary; as, a private room or apartment; private prayer.
Reason . . . then retiresInto her private cell when nature rests.
Personal
Relating to one's private life
She keeps her personal life separate from work.
Private
Not invested with, or engaged in, public office or employment; as, a private citizen; private life.
A private person may arrest a felon.
Private
Not publicly known; not open; secret; as, a private negotiation; a private understanding.
Private
Having secret or private knowledge; privy.
Private
A secret message; a personal unofficial communication.
Private
Personal interest; particular business.
Nor must I be unmindful of my private.
Private
Privacy; retirement.
Private
One not invested with a public office.
What have kings, that privates have not too?
Private
A common soldier; a soldier below the grade of a noncommissioned officer.
Private
The private parts; the genitals.
Private
An enlisted man of the lowest rank;
Our prisoner was just a private and knew nothing of value
Private
Confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy;
A private place
Private discussions
Private lessons
A private club
A private secretary
Private property
The former President is now a private citizen
Public figures struggle to maintain a private life
Private
Concerning things deeply private and personal;
Private correspondence
Private family matters
Private
Concerning one person exclusively;
We all have individual cars
Each room has a private bath
Private
Not expressed;
Secret (or private) thoughts
Private
Confidential in nature
The documents were marked as private.
Common Curiosities
What does private mean?
Private refers to something that is kept confidential or exclusive to certain people or groups.
What's private property?
Property owned by individuals or corporations and not by the state.
What does personal mean?
Personal relates to individual characteristics, preferences, or matters.
Can something be private but not personal?
Yes, corporate documents can be private without being personally related to an individual.
Can something be personal but not private?
Yes, one's hobbies may be personal interests but not necessarily private.
Is "private" more formal than "personal"?
Yes, "private" often appears in formal contexts, like legal or official documents.
Can "private" refer to a sector or industry?
Yes, the private sector is the part of the economy not controlled by the government.
Are private conversations the same as personal conversations?
Not always; private conversations are restricted in audience, personal conversations are intimate in content.
What's a personal question?
A question that relates to individual, often intimate, aspects of someone's life.
How does privacy differ from personal space?
Privacy is a broader concept including data and information, while personal space refers to the physical area around a person.
Can a business be personal?
Yes, if it's a sole proprietorship, it is both personally and privately owned.
Do "private" and "personal" overlap?
They can overlap when something is both individual and confidential.
What's a private matter?
A matter that concerns confidential or sensitive information not meant for public knowledge.
What's a personal matter?
A matter that concerns an individual's private life or personal circumstances.
What's personal space in psychology?
It's the comfortable physical distance one maintains with others to feel safe and unencumbered.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
