Spanish word

personificar

Pronunciation

IPA/peɾsonifiˈkaɾ/

Meaning

  • verbembody

Example

Ella personifica la bondad en su trabajo diario.

She embodies goodness in her daily work.

Illustration for personificar (embody)

More examples

En mi barrio, ella personifica la generosidad.

In my neighborhood, she embodies generosity.

Core concept

A person or character presented as the living symbol of an idea.

Common phrases

  • personificar la generosidad

    embody generosity

  • personificar la bondad

    embody goodness

  • personificar a alguien

    embody someone

Similar words

encarnar: Shows an abstract ideal concretely in a person's qualities or actions.
representar: Indicates an opinion, group's stance, or role via a person or symbol.
simbolizar: Acts as a sign that stands for a concept or value.
humanizar: Gives a nonhuman thing or system human traits or emotions.

Definition in Spanish

Dar a una persona o cosa características humanas o simbólicas para mostrar una cualidad, idea o papel.

Word origin

From medieval Latin personificare, formed from Latin persona 'person, mask' plus the verb-forming suffix -ficare meaning 'to make into a person'.

Usage tips

  • Spanish often uses the pattern personificar X en Y to say that Y represents X, as in 'personificar la bondad en alguien', and speakers add context to prevent a literal reading.

Other meanings

  • personifyverb
  • symbolizeverb

Opposites

Related words

  • personificaciónpersonificationnoun
  • personificadopersonifiedadjective
  • personificadorpersonifiernoun

Word lists with this word