persona

noun

Etymology: Etymology tree Latin persōnabor. English persona Borrowed from Latin persōna (“mask; character”), of uncertain origin. Suggested to be from Etruscan 𐌘𐌄𐌓𐌔𐌖 (φersu, “mask; masked individual; actor”), which could be a loan from Ancient Greek πρόσωπον (prósōpon, “face; appearance; mask used in ancient theatre to denote a character or, more generally, a social role”). Doublet of person and parson.

1. A social role.

   “I've maintained a very public persona.”

2. A character played by an actor.
3. The mask or appearance one presents to the world.

   “He keeps his online persona completely separate from his real-world one.”

   “The latest in a long line of dirty dating tactics to emerge is “wokefishing,” a term coined by writer Serena Smith. “People masquerade as holding progressive political views to ensnare potential partners,” Smith told Vice. Wokefishermen can be thought of like catfishers — those who use fake online personas to defraud victims — but only for sex instead of money.”

4. An imaginary person representing a particular type of client or customer, considered when designing products and services that will appeal to them.

   “To do so, your organization should create nuanced buyer personas for all relevant market segments or buyer groups that demonstrate affinity to your brand. These buyer personas should include standard demographic information […]”