impersonal

Impersonal is an adjective that describes something lacking personal involvement, individuality, or warmth. It can refer to attitudes, language, or relationships that do not center on a specific person. In everyday use, impersonal statements or tones aim to be objective, formal, or detached rather than intimate or conversational.

In linguistics, impersonal refers to constructions that do not assign a specific agent or referent as the subject. Impersonal sentences may describe weather, general facts, or phenomena without attributing them to a particular person. In English, many impersonal constructions rely on dummy subjects such as it or there is, as in “It seems likely” or “There are several options.” Some languages have genuine impersonal verbs or verb forms that do not require a personal subject. The use of generic pronouns like one or you can also achieve an impersonal sense in various contexts.

In writing and rhetoric, an impersonal style favors objective reporting, passive voice, and nominalizations to focus on information rather than the author’s perspective. This tone is common in scientific, technical, or official documents, where clarity and reliability are prioritized over personal voice. Conversely, overuse of impersonal language can create distance, reduce expressiveness, or feel cold to readers.

Etymology traces impersonal to Latin imparsonalis, formed from in- (not) and personalis (of a person). Across languages, the concept encompasses grammatical constructions, pronoun use, and stylistic choices that minimize or omit personal involvement.