“Personal” vs. “Personnel”: What’s the Difference?

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The difference between “personal” and “personnel”

  • Personal relates to an individual's private life, while personnel refers to the workforce of an organization.
  • Personal is not of an official or public nature, while personnel is often an official department within an organization.
  • Personal concerns a particular person or group of people, whereas personnel refers to the employees in general.
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What is the definition of “personal” and “personnel”?

Personal
  • Relating to an individual's private life, emotions, or characteristics.
  • Not of an official or public nature.
  • Concerning or affecting a particular person or group of people.
Personnel
  • The employees of a business, organization, or military force.
  • The department responsible for hiring, training, and managing employees.
  • Refers to the workforce or staff of an organization.

Which is the more popular variant on the Internet?

“Personal” is the more popular variant on the web.
More popular
Personal
9,150,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. My personal trainer helped me lose weight and get into better shape.
  2. I prefer to keep my personal life separate from my work life.
  3. Reading books for pleasure is one of my personal hobbies.
Personnel
905,000,000 results on the web
Examples
  1. The company hired a new personnel manager to handle employee relations.
  2. Our department has a great personnel team that supports our work.
  3. The personnel files are kept confidential and only accessible to authorized individuals.
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