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

“Both AMC and Netflix have individually said publicly that we hope this is the beginning of collaboration, and that we each expected more good joint projects to come in the future,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 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

The technology required teachers to barcode and upload each exam question individually for each credit, which was a challenge initially.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Of course, there are ways to stream every Yankees game in 2026 other than buying each service individually.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

The three heroes hopped into their individually labeled tubes and slid down to their briefing stations, where they were surrounded by blinking computers and glowing video screens.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

Related Words

• alone
• independently
• personally