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.
These subtle effects are difficult to identify individually, so astronomers rely on statistical methods to detect them.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Last year, it saw its busiest October to date, with customers individually spending an average of £40 on fancy costumes and accessories.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Customs agents have historically waved through low-value, personal-use packages rather than individually checking each one against the agency’s criteria.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
The costs of the pots, racks and soil are nominal individually but add up fast at the scale he now operates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The next burst of applause at the Watermelon Feed came when it was time to introduce the members of the Permian football team individually.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions 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.
