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

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

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

The shuttle-run bonanza is trickling down to individual sailors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

“The primary suite is a private retreat featuring a fireplace, secluded deck, dual spa-inspired baths, individual walk-in closets, a Sitting Room, and dedicated massage and salon rooms,” the listing adds.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026

The schoolgirl was named a Games MVP on Sunday to cap an extraordinary showing that saw her scorch to gold in the 200m butterfly and do the 200m-400m individual medley double.

From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026

Obviously, it's pretty sweet for me tonight as an individual but for the club, the players, the coaching staff, everything that we've built up over the last three years is phenomenal.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Ophelia managed to finesse the situation, giving overtime where required by law and dealing with other people on an individual basis.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

The public comment deadline for individuals closed Sept. 25.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

"We note with concern that not everyone has heeded these warnings, and that individuals are knowingly exposing themselves to mortal danger," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

Prosecutors were handed an evidence file on 20 organisations and firms and 54 individuals from the Metropolitan Police earlier this week.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

For individuals, not being able to get your money out when you need it isn’t an inconvenience; it’s potentially catastrophic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

In what was one of the most unique aspects of the Great Molasses Flood, two individuals who were victims in real danger of losing their own lives also became two of the most heroic rescuers.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

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