individually

American  

[in-duh-vij-oo-uh-lee] / ˌɪn dəˈvɪdʒ u ə li /

adverb

1. one at a time; separately.

   The delegates were introduced individually.

2. personally.

   Each of us is individually responsible.

3. in an individual or personally unique manner.

   Her interpretation was individually conceived.

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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

She said the four were all individually impressive, but that she was proud of their "teamwork" and "camaraderie".

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

The researchers wanted to see whether pairing these compounds could reduce inflammatory signals more effectively than using them individually.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

While some of Salesforce’s FDEs work individually, the company has begun deploying pods consisting of a deployment strategist and two FDEs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

That includes reviewing about 1,400 servers individually to ensure they are secure before restoring access and bringing systems back online, he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

But Valerie was something different, a big sister to each of us individually and someone who helped us stand back and take measure of our dilemmas when they arose.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• alone
• independently
• personally