individuation
Americannoun
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the act of individuating.
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state of being individuated; individual existence; individuality.
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Philosophy. the determination or contraction of a general nature to an individual mode of existence; development of the individual from the general.
noun
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the act or process of individuating
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(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
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zoology the development of separate but mutually interdependent units, as in the development of zooids forming a colony
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of individuation
First recorded in 1620–30; individuate + -ion
Explanation
Individuation is the process by which an individual becomes distinct. Individuation distinguishes you from everybody else. The word individual is a good clue to the meaning of individuation, which is how a being becomes an independent, separate entity. This usually refers to a psychological process described by Carl Jung. For Jung, individuation involved becoming your own person, with your own beliefs and ideals that might be separate from those of your parents and society. Individuation is a lifelong process involving all the choices that make you uniquely yourself. Individuation is also called individualization.
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 “Cecilia” obliquely questions consent by juxtaposing predators and prey and considering the individuation of memory.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2024
As for the notion that advanced age robs us of physical capacity and mental acuity, that may be arguable as a demographic average, but ignores what Gendron observes is the increasing individuation as we age.
From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2023
When you understand that your child’s brain is under construction, and when you understand the individuation process, your lens will change when you see these behaviors.
From Washington Post • Dec. 28, 2022
That is where we have moved from the mission and the team, to individuation and “me, me, me, me, me.”
From The Verge • May 3, 2022
Writing of numbers and individuation reminds me of companies which will name a star after anyone who pays a $35 fee.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
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.
