individuation

American  

[in-duh-vij-oo-ey-shuhn] / ˌɪn dəˌvɪdʒ uˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of individuating.

2. state of being individuated; individual existence; individuality.

3. Philosophy. the determination or contraction of a general nature to an individual mode of existence; development of the individual from the general.

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individuation British  

/ ˌɪndɪˌvɪdjʊˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of individuating

2. (in the psychology of Jung) the process by which the wholeness of the individual is established through the integration of consciousness and the collective unconscious

3. zoology the development of separate but mutually interdependent units, as in the development of zooids forming a colony

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Other Word Forms

• deindividuation noun

Etymology

Origin of individuation

First recorded in 1620–30; individuate + -ion

Example Sentences

He felt that doing shadow work was really the first part of the work of analysis and the work of what he called individuation because it’s the entry point into the depths.

From Los Angeles Times

And “Cecilia” obliquely questions consent by juxtaposing predators and prey and considering the individuation of memory.

From Seattle Times

The dance explores the relationship between individuation and wholeness and what shows above the surface versus what is hidden beneath it.

From Seattle Times

While the stadium's proportions would seem to render any slivers of individuation downright impossible, there are two factors that work in Swift's favor.

From Salon

Reading Carl Jung’s theory of individuation, the development of self-realization, led her to see her seven chickens as one continuous being, always in communication with wild birds.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• answer
• explanation
• interpretation
• rationale
• solution
• translation