Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

persona non grata

/pə(ɹ)ˈsəʊnə nɒn ˈɡɹɑːtə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.42 in modern English

Syllables: per-son-a non -gra-ta
IPA: /pə(ɹ)ˈsəʊnə nɒn ˈɡɹɑːtə/

18

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

5

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A person who is not welcome, especially a diplomat in a foreign country.

Example Sentences

""Calls to set down only" sounds more exciting. What station or train staff has the specific duty of repelling would-be boarders? Are the occupants of the train of such exalted main-line status that suburban interlopers are personae non gratae?"

Etymology

From Latin persōna (“person”) + nōn (“not”) + grāta (from grātus (“acceptable”)).

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /pə(ɹ)ˈsəʊnə nɒn ˈɡɹɑːtə/

Inflected Forms

personae non gratae (plural) personas non grata (plural, proscribed)

Phrases

peeping tom backseat driver nosy parker

Frequently Paired Words

gatecrasher interloper peeping tom encroacher backseat driver kibitzer meddler nosy parker

Synonyms

unwelcome person

Antonyms

persona grata

Questions

How do you pronounce persona non grata?: The recorded pronunciation is /pə(ɹ)ˈsəʊnə nɒn ˈɡɹɑːtə/.
What does persona non grata mean?: A person who is not welcome, especially a diplomat in a foreign country.
Where does persona non grata come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce persona non grata

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “persona non grata”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pə(ɹ)ˈsəʊnə nɒn ˈɡɹɑːtə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “persona non grata”.
Repeat and practice — Say “persona non grata” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.