individualist
Americannoun
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a person who shows great independence or individuality in thought or action.
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an advocate of individualism.
noun
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a person who shows independence and individuality in his behaviour, opinions, or actions
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an advocate of individualism
Other Word Forms
- individualistic adjective
- individualistically adverb
- superindividualist noun
Etymology
Origin of individualist
First recorded in 1830–40; individual + -ist
Explanation
If you’re an individualist, you think for yourself and do things your own way — you have the individualist values of independence and creativity. It is great to be an individualist, meaning you won't conform to social pressures — that is, unless a group of individualists is trying to come to mutual agreement about something. You may have heard of bands that break up because "creative differences" make them unable to write music together. Most likely, those differences are the result of individualist attitudes about how the music should sound.
Vocabulary lists containing individualist
The Age of Jackson and Westward Expansion, Lessons 3–5
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Essential Question Vocabulary (Unit 2)
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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.
“And I think those with the most power and influence are in the individualist frame.”
From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026
Brazilian showman Lucas Pinheiro Braathen bagged South America's first-ever Winter Olympic medal on Saturday, his giant slalom victory capping a dream for the self-proclaimed individualist.
From Barron's • Feb. 14, 2026
Part of his appeal also stems from his individualist candor and public distrust of institutions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
Brandel Chamblee, a former American player and prominent commentator, still believes DeChambeau is an individualist and described him as a "captain's nightmare"
From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025
"Serious? I know they're serious. That's how come I brought them. This opportunist thinks that because he's got a little more education he's better than anybody else. He's what Brother Jack calls a petty—petty individualist!"
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
