in·di·vid·u·al
ˌin-də-ˈvi-jə-wəl 
-ˈvij-wəl,
-ˈvi-jəl,
-ˈvi-jü-əl
1
a
: of, relating to, or distinctively associated with an individual
an individual effort
b
: intended for one person
an individual serving
c
: being an individual or existing as an indivisible whole
2
: having marked individuality
an individual style
3
: existing as a distinct entity : separate
4
obsolete
: inseparable
individually
adverb
1
a
: a particular being or thing as distinguished from a class, species, or collection: such as
(1)
: a single human being as contrasted with a social group or institution
a teacher who works with individuals
(2)
: a single organism as distinguished from a group
b
: a particular person
are you the individual I spoke with on the telephone?
2
: an indivisible entity
3
: the reference of a name or variable of the lowest logical type in a calculus
Synonyms
Examples of individual in a Sentence
Adjective
What are the individual traits of the breed?
The doctor carefully evaluates the individual needs of her patients.
Students will receive as much individual attention as possible.
She has a very individual style of writing.
a pattern as individual as a fingerprint
Noun
They promote a philosophy that sacrifices the rights of the individual for the public welfare.
They are both rather odd individuals.
Are you the individual I spoke with on the telephone?
She's a very talented individual.
The markings on tigers are unique to each individual.
Recent Examples on the Web
Carl Leubsdorf, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
When applied to each state’s eight individual grades used in my scorecard, this geeky math shows California’s grades had the highest deviation.
—Jonathan Lansner, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Webster-Bass is interested in using investigative storytelling through audio reporting to amplify the voices of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
—Talia Buford, ProPublica, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for individual 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
Recent history is replete with elections which seemed more transformational at the time than a few years later, attributable more to the individual winner or circumstances than to a more basic change.
—Carl Leubsdorf, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
When applied to each state’s eight individual grades used in my scorecard, this geeky math shows California’s grades had the highest deviation.
—Jonathan Lansner, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024
Noun
Many Democrats campaigned on a tax-the-rich agenda and advocated paying for other tax cuts by targeting those provisions, as well as rolling back the law’s tax cuts for corporations and individuals making more than $400,000 per year.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024
Webster-Bass is interested in using investigative storytelling through audio reporting to amplify the voices of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
—Talia Buford, ProPublica, 14 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for individual
Articles Related to individual
Dictionary Entries Near individual
Cite this Entry
“Individual.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/individual. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
individual
1 of 2 adjective
in·di·vid·u·al
ˌin-də-ˈvij-(ə-)wəl
-ˈvij-əl
1
: of or relating to an individual
individual traits
2
: intended for one person
individual servings
3
: particular entry 1 sense 1, separate
individual copies
4
: having a special quality : distinct
an individual style
individually
adverb
-ē
individual
2 of 2 noun1
: a single member of a class, species, or collection
2
: a single human being
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