individually
Americanadverb
-
one at a time; separately.
The delegates were introduced individually.
-
personally.
Each of us is individually responsible.
-
in an individual or personally unique manner.
Her interpretation was individually conceived.
Etymology
Origin of individually
First recorded in 1590–1600; individual + -ly
Explanation
Anything done individually happens one at a time, separate from others. In baseball, each player bats individually. An individual is a single person, or you can refer to an individual thing, which is one thing. Likewise, anything described as happening individually happens one by one or separately. An only child is raised individually. Doctors usually see patients individually, not in groups. If you're in a single-file line, you're lined up individually. Think of the number one when you see or hear the word individually.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Moreover, the framework offers no blanket opt-out, meaning companies will have to monitor and object to every trading venue individually.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The cannons could only be taken off the island by helicopter, and a Merlin Mk2 helicopter from Atlantic Flight 814 Naval Air Squadron lifted each cannon individually off the island.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
"But they could be, looking into next year and the next couple of years, if we don't do more work as an industry and individually as companies and governments on securing these systems," Hassabis warned.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
In 2023, NHS England wrote to mental health trusts saying monitoring technology should not be introduced as a blanket approach and decisions should be made for each patient individually.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
It was the sound of panic itself, mounting and straining toward the extinction they all knew, individually, to be theirs.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
