Based on Its Prefix, Which Is the Correct Definition of "Impersonal"?

The answer

Based on its prefix, impersonal means "not personal." The word breaks into the prefix im- ("not") plus the root personal ("relating to a person or their feelings"). Put together, impersonal describes something that lacks personal feeling, warmth, or reference to a specific individual — it is objective, neutral, and detached. A form letter that begins "To Whom It May Concern," a curt automated reply, or a coldly professional tone are all impersonal: they do not address you as an individual or convey human emotion.

So when the multiple-choice options offer definitions, the correct one is the choice that says something like "not personal" or "lacking personal feeling." Options that describe impersonal as "very personal," "friendly," or "emotional" reverse the meaning and are wrong, because they ignore what the negative prefix does.

How the prefix tells you the meaning

The prefix im- is a form of in-, both meaning "not" or "without." When you attach it to a word, it negates that word:

• im- + possible = impossible (not possible)
• im- + patient = impatient (not patient)
• im- + mature = immature (not mature)
• im- + polite = impolite (not polite)

Applying that same rule, im- + personal = impersonal = not personal. This is exactly why the question says "based on its prefix" — it wants you to decode the meaning from the word parts rather than memorize a dictionary entry.

Why im- (not in-) here?

English switches "in-" to "im-" before words beginning with the letters b, m, or p, because it is easier to pronounce. That is why we say impossible and impersonal (p), immature (m), and imbalance (b), but invisible, inactive, and incorrect with other starting letters. Recognizing this spelling shift helps you spot the same "not" prefix even when it is disguised as im-.

The bigger picture

Learning the im-/in- "not" pattern is far more valuable than memorizing one definition, because it unlocks dozens of words. If you know the prefix means "not," you can decode impersonal, impartial (not partial/biased), improbable (not probable), inaccurate, indefinite, and many more without a dictionary. The opposite of impersonal is simply personal — warm, individual, and relating directly to someone. Whenever a vocabulary question says "based on its prefix," your strategy is to split the word, identify the prefix's meaning, and combine it with the root. For impersonal, that reliably gives you "not personal."