individualistic
Americanadjective
-
prioritizing the pursuit of individual interests or rights rather than common or collective ones.
In our culture we seem to be moving toward a predominantly individualistic mindset, where egoism is in and altruism is out.
-
showing great independence or individuality in thought or action.
Never has the nation produced a more brilliantly argumentative, individualistic, or opinionated group of politicians than our founders.
-
Philosophy. of or relating to a belief that all actions are determined by, or for the benefit of, the individual, not society as a whole.
The attempt to construct a new social order on the basis of individualistic doctrine was bound to fail, because the shared customs and practices that make up the common life of society are too valuable.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of individualistic
Explanation
A person who believes strongly that each of us should be just who we are has an individualistic outlook. If you don't like conformity, then you're individualistic too. Many people believe that our society tries to make us all the same — to like the same food and wear the same clothes. Folks who reject that idea are individualistic. They believe that the most radical thing you can do is be yourself, however different that self may happen to be. The U.S. was known as country of individualists for many years. It's where individualistic people came to invent themselves however they liked. Some say, though, that recently it's grown less individualistic, as people are more afraid to seem different or unique.
Vocabulary lists containing individualistic
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.
In English, the models tended to favor more individualistic and analytical responses, while in Chinese, they placed greater emphasis on relationships and broader context.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
By contrast, he uses the US as an example of a more individualistic society where outlandish behaviour is more tolerated.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
The second value is voice, the term we use to describe the desire for authentic, individualistic self-expression—for instance, the freedom to be oneself without judgment from others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
Beyond my own square radius, I have seen an art world that is far less individualistic than those in other major cities — one oriented toward collaboration and joining forces to make something more meaningful.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 17, 2025
One of the most individualistic, interesting, and yes, gloomy subcultures, Goth is a style—of music, dress, state of mind.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
