in propria persona

adverb

By the person themselves; often used when a defendant is representing themselves in court without an attorney.

OriginLatin in propria persona ← ['la ', →
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Meanings

adverb
  1. By the person themselves; often used when a defendant is representing themselves in court without an attorney.

    She became a subscriber—amazed at being anything in propria persona, amazed at her own doings in every way; to be a renter, a chuser of books!

    1814 May 9, [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Mansfield Park: […], volume III, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 191

Origin

  1. ['la',
  2. Latinin propria persona
  3. Englishin propria persona

Borrowed from Latin in propria persona.

More words from Latin, ['la

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

in propria persona. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20propria%20persona

MLA

“in propria persona.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20propria%20persona. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in propria persona,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20propria%20persona.

Source: in propria persona on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.