individually
Americanadverb
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one at a time; separately.
The delegates were introduced individually.
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personally.
Each of us is individually responsible.
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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.
The only problem with that is that while Cornell, Thayil and Yamamoto all individually took turns playing in the Shemps to make money, that version of the band never performed in public.
From Salon • Jun. 9, 2026
Although scientists have studied many of these basins individually for years, this is the first time they have been recognized as parts of a single, interconnected geological structure.
From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026
"Or it might be that certain brands don't want to be a part of the Sidemen, they will just want KSI individually, and they don't want that association as such for different reasons."
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
After receiving a flood of messages from people, she decided that instead of responding to each person individually, she would share her apartment picks on her interior design website.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 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.
