individualism [in-duh -vij -oo-uh -liz-uh m] noun a social theory advocating the liberty, rights, or independent action of the individual.
the principle or habit of or belief in independent thought or action.
the pursuit of individual rather than common or collective interests; egoism.
individual character; individuality.
an individual peculiarity.
Philosophy the doctrine that only individual things are real. the doctrine or belief that all actions are determined by, or at least take place for, the benefit of the individual , not of society as a whole. Related forms o·ver·in·di·vid·u·al·ism , noun su·per·in·di·vid·u·al·ism , noun Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for individualism individuality ,
status ,
name ,
singleness ,
self ,
coherence ,
character ,
oneness ,
distinctiveness ,
uniqueness ,
identification ,
existence ,
singularity ,
personality ,
integrity ,
particularity ,
circumstances ,
selfhood ,
ipseity ,
selfdom Examples from the Web for individualism Contemporary Examples of individualism By sticking to the variation you hold by, there is individualism .
Ross Douthat offers a clue when he calls ours the “Age of Individualism .”
The Cossacks stood for freedom and individualism , and central Russia would do anything to keep them from spreading their ideals.
Historically, the Cossack way of living was one of disorder and adaption, of individualism and egalitarianism.
Instead, each American should spend his days cultivating his individualism , his selfhood.
Historical Examples of individualism No catalogue of American qualities and defects can exclude the trait of individualism .
No sovereign or minister, no government, can win the favor of Prussian individualism .
As has been indicated, the frontier is productive of individualism .
A most striking feature of the northern migration was its individualism .
This individualism has had the freest play, and we are not likely to lose all that it has given us.
British Dictionary definitions for individualism noun the action or principle of asserting one's independence and individuality; egoism
an individual quirk or peculiarity
philosophy the doctrine that only individual things exist and that therefore classes or properties have no reality Compare Platonism , realism (def. 5) Show More
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for individualism n. "self-centered feeling," 1827, from individual + -ism . As a social philosophy (opposed to communism and socialism ) first attested 1851 in writings of J.S. Mill.
A majority can never replace the individual. ... Just as a hundred fools do not make one wise man, a heroic decision is not likely to come from a hundred cowards. [Adolf Hitler, "Mein Kampf," 1933] Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
A view that stresses the importance and worth of each person. In economics , it is the doctrine that individuals best serve the public interest by pursuing their own self-interest. For example, the businessman who expands his company to increase his profits also creates jobs for many people and thereby serves the public interest. (See laissez-faire .)
Show More
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
