individual

American  

[in-duh-vij-oo-uhl] / ˌɪn dəˈvɪdʒ u əl /

noun

• individuals
  plural

1. a single human being, as distinguished from a group.

2. a person.

   A strange individual came around asking if we wanted to buy any lamps.

3. a distinct, indivisible entity; a single thing, being, instance, or item.

4. a group considered as a unit.

5. Biology.

   1. a single organism capable of independent existence.

   2. a member of a compound organism or colony.

6. Cards. a duplicate-bridge tournament in which each player plays the same number of hands in partnership with every other player, individual scores for each player being kept for each hand.

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adjective

1. single; particular; separate.

   It's standard practice to number individual copies of a limited edition.

2. intended for the use of one person only.

   Servers handed out individual portions of a pizza to guests at the party.

3. of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular person or thing.

   The decor was highly reflective of his individual tastes.

4. distinguished by special, singular, or markedly personal characteristics; exhibiting unique or unusual qualities.

   She was known for her highly individual style of painting.

5. existing as a distinct, indivisible entity, or considered as such; discrete.

   It can be difficult to replace individual parts of a tea set if one breaks.

6. belonging to a set or group of which each is different or of a different design from the others.

   For Christmas they got a set of individual coffee cups.

individual British  

/ ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, characteristic of, or meant for a single person or thing

2. separate or distinct, esp from others of its kind; particular

   please mark the individual pages

3. characterized by unusual and striking qualities; distinctive

4. obsolete indivisible; inseparable

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noun

1. a single person, esp when regarded as distinct from others

2. biology

   1. a single animal or plant, esp as distinct from a species

   2. a single member of a compound organism or colony

3. logic

   1. Also called: particular. an object as opposed to a property or class

   2. an element of the domain of discourse of a theory

Usage

As a synonym for person, individual is standard, occurring in all varieties of speech and writing: Three individuals entered the room, each carrying a sheaf of papers. Some object to this use, insisting that individual can mean only “a single human being, as distinguished from a group”: An individual may have concerns that are ignored by their party.

Synonym Usage

See person.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• interindividual
  adjective
• nonindividual
  adjective
• superindividual
  adjective
• transindividual
  adjective
• individually
  adverb
• superindividually
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• individuals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of individual

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin indīviduālis, equivalent to Latin indīviduus “indivisible” (from in- negative prefix + dīviduus “divided or divisible into two parts”) + -ālis adjective suffix; cf. in- ³, divide, -al ¹

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Explanation

The word individual is all about being a single entity that cannot be divided. It can mean person or even personal. A team is made up of individuals, and each individual has individual strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes individual is a way of referring to a person, quasi-formally. You might elevate the phrase "This guy walks into my shop," by saying, "This individual walks into my shop." You might also hear this word when talking about things that are divided: foods designed for lunchboxes, such as potato chips or juice boxes, are often prepackaged into individual servings.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

individual individuals

With Samoa's resistance gradually waning, Waaka capped a fine individual display with her hat-trick and McGregor scored the try her performance richly deserved to round off a fine New Zealand display.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

Another company, Masterworks, said it nets between 14% and 18% annualized returns offering individual investors ownership in pieces of artwork from artists such as Basquiat, Banksy and Pablo Picasso.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Beyond the debate over dairy fat, the research highlights a broader challenge in nutrition science: judging the health effects of entire foods rather than focusing exclusively on individual nutrients.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026

Share ownership is widespread in the United States, where individual retirement funds invested in stocks and bonds are much more prevalent than government-funded pensions.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

I know you are a very private individual, but perhaps we could speak on the phone at your earliest convenience?

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

Ch Supt Stephen Jones, of South Wales Police, said the force believed that the "individuals involved are likely to be known to one another."

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

Unlike California, it has no corporate income tax or capital-gains taxes on individuals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026

For these individuals, evidence of calcium buildup may help doctors make more informed decisions when the need for statin therapy is uncertain.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026

The United States has imposed sanctions on dozens of companies and individuals linked to an alleged Cambodia-based cyberscam group and a network in Madagascar that targeted Americans.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

Around 8500 BC the largest settlements in the world were villages such as Jericho, which contained a few hundred individuals.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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Related Words

• lone
• original
• particular
• personal
• respective
• separate
• single
• singular
• sole
• special
• specific

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