personness

English

Etymology

From person +‎ -ness.

Noun

personness (uncountable)

1. The state, quality, or condition of a person; personality; individuality; personhood; personableness.
   • 1976, Abortion: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Constitutional Amendments of the Committee on the Judiciary, United States Senate, Ninety-third Congress, Second Session:

     I think if we talk about children and wanting a child-oriented society, then the judiciary and legislature have to address themselves to the personness of children. Personness means you are a legal entity in and of yourself.

   • 2004, Michael Marquardt, Nancy Berger, Peter Loan, HRD in the Age of Globalization:

     As an individual, each of us has "personness," a unique programming not shared with any other human being. It is partly based on our heredity and is partly learned; that is, this personness is modified both by the influence of culture as well as our unique personal experiences.

   • 2010, Michael Horace Barnes, Understanding Religion and Science: Introducing the Debate:

     This is a trust that the personness that is our identity is a better symbol of the ultimate than words like “cold” and “dark” and “aimless” and “meaningless.”

   • 2015, Charles H Kraft, Worship: Beyond the Hymnbook:

     Indeed, there are many ways in which audio and video media can enhance the “personness” of our messages.