individualist

[ in-duh-vij-oo-uh-list ]

/ ˌɪn dəˈvɪdʒ u ə lɪst /

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See synonyms for: individualist / individualistic on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who shows great independence or individuality in thought or action.

an advocate of individualism.

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Origin of individualist

First recorded in 1830–40; individual + -ist

OTHER WORDS FROM individualist

in·di·vid·u·al·is·tic

[in-duh-vij-oo-uh-lis-tik] /ˌɪn dəˌvɪdʒ u əˈlɪs tɪk/ adjectivesu·per·in·di·vid·u·al·ist, noun

Words nearby individualist

indiv., indivertible, individ., individual, individualism, individualist, individualistic, individuality, individualize, individual liberty, individually

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use individualist in a sentence

If you could persuade people that this isn’t about welfarism, but about opportunity, then I think individualists might buy into that.
The Pandemic Laid Bare the World’s Inequities. A Top Economist on Why We Need a New Social Contract|Dan Stewart|August 12, 2021|Time
Parenting in individualist countries is often an intensely solitary pursuit.
Parents in Western countries report the highest levels of burnout|Sujata Gupta|March 29, 2021|Science News
Our individualist society is long overdue for broad systemic change in how we support care of all kinds, but informal community networks offer solace that peppy slogans can’t.
Don’t Tell a Caregiver to Stay Positive. Here’s How to Help Instead|Kate Washington|March 9, 2021|Time
By the early 90s, people like you and me were arch individualists.
A Conversation with Filmmaker Adam Curtis on Power, Technology and How Ideas Get Into People's Heads|Billy Perrigo|February 23, 2021|Time

They were fierce individualists who were incapable of collaboration.
Restoring the Fairness Doctrine can’t prevent another Rush Limbaugh|Heather Hendershot|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
The Obama years have been marked by a sharp turn toward anti-individualist, anti-authoritarian philosophy.
Obama’s Shift Toward Communitarianism|Gregory Ferenstein|June 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Their pursuits are individualist, and many seek to be expatriates.
Teaching ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Chengdu, China|Matt Lombardi|May 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This quote is supposed to confirm Thatcher as an anti-social radical individualist of the Ayn Rand distemper.
Context for Margaret Thatcher's 'There is No Such Thing as Society' Remarks|David Frum|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It is hard to be a "rugged individualist" when caring for babies who can't fend for themselves.
Why Aren't There More Women Libertarians, Ctd?|Justin Green|January 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This nation of immigrants is more go-getting and individualist than their European counterparts.
America Will Never Be Europe|Katty Kay|February 27, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The average citizen of three generations ago was probably not aware that he was an extreme individualist.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
The individualist virtue of 'self-help' was not confined to successful money-making or to the wealthier classes.
The English Utilitarians, Volume I.|Leslie Stephen
The individualist position naturally tends to take the form of egoism.
The English Utilitarians, Volume I.|Leslie Stephen
The Utopia was constructed on 'individualist' principles, because common sense naturally approves individualism.
The English Utilitarians, Volume I.|Leslie Stephen
Eleutheromaniac signs occurred early, however, leading him to attach himself to the individualist Bradlaugh.
The Ball and The Cross|G.K. Chesterton

British Dictionary definitions for individualist

individualist

/ (ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəlɪst) /

noun

a person who shows independence and individuality in his behaviour, opinions, or actions

an advocate of individualism

Derived forms of individualist

individualistic, adjectiveindividualistically, adverb

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

individualist

Origin of individualist

OTHER WORDS FROM individualist

Words nearby individualist

Words related to individualist

How to use individualist in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for individualist

Derived forms of individualist