Individual — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˌin-də-ˈvi-jə-wəl/ in·di·vid·u·al

Meaning & Definition of Individual

Individual (adjective)

  1. of, relating to, or distinctively associated with an individual
  2. intended for one person
  3. being an individual or existing as an indivisible whole

Individual (noun)

  1. a particular being or thing as distinguished from a class, species, or collection
  2. a single human being as contrasted with a social group or institution
  3. a single organism as distinguished from a group

Individual (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a member of the human race

    "every individual has value"

    similar: baby, being, bird, bod (British), body, character, cookie, creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish, guy, head, human, human being, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, thing, wight, son of man
    related: hominid, homo, humanoid, brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor, celebrity, personality, self, somebody
    near: animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

  2. one that has a real and independent existence

    "our general concept of what constitutes a chair is based on our experience with many individuals that were called chairs"

    similar: being, commodity, entity, existent, individuality, integer, object, reality, something, substance, thing
    related: body, subject, material, matter, quantity, stuff
    near: nonentity

Individual (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. of, relating to, or belonging to a single person

    "everyone has his or her own individual opinion about the subject, but you will have to work together"

    similar: idiomatic, individualized, particular, patented, peculiar, personal, personalized, private, privy, separate, singular, subjective, unique
    related: characteristic, distinctive, intimate, identifying, idiosyncratic, especial, express, special, specific, independent, nonconformist, self-directed, self-sufficient, custom, customized, specialized
    opposite: general, generic, popular, public, shared, universal
    near: broad, prevailing, prevalent, widespread, common, normal, regular, typical

  2. not the same or shared

    "guest rooms at the inn have individual bathrooms"

    similar: different, respective, separate
    related: disparate, dissimilar, distinct, distinctive, distinguishable, divergent, diverse, unalike, varied, various
    opposite: same
    near: identical, selfsame, very

  3. serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group

    "he's got a highly individual laugh that I would know anywhere"

    similar: characteristic, classic, diagnostic, discriminating, distinct, distinctive, distinguishing, identifying, peculiar, proper, symptomatic, typical
    related: idiosyncratic, identifiable, pronounced, unmistakable, general, generic, common, normal, regular, usual, especial, particular, special, specific, archetypal, model, paradigmatic
    opposite: atypical, nontypical, uncharacteristic, untypical

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Individual

The most common words with a similar meaning to Individual:

British: bod
baby, being, bird, body, character, cookie, creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish, guy, head, human, human being, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, thing, wight, commodity, entity, existent, individuality, integer, object, reality, something, substance

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Individual

Words with the opposite meaning of Individual:

general, generic, popular, public, shared, universal, same, atypical, nontypical, uncharacteristic, untypical

Related Words for Individual

hominid, homo, humanoid, brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor, celebrity, personality, self, somebody, subject, material, matter, quantity, stuff, intimate, idiosyncratic, especial, express, special, specific, independent, nonconformist, self-directed, self-sufficient, custom, customized, specialized, disparate

Near Antonyms of Individual

animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter, nonentity, broad, prevailing, prevalent, widespread, common, normal, regular, typical, identical, selfsame, very

Word Forms of Individual

Derived words: individually (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Individual

Medieval Latin individualis, from Latin individuus indivisible, from in- + dividuus divided, from dividere to divide

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Individual

Words & Phrases Containing Individual

individual medley, individual retirement account, interindividual, matter of (individual) conscience

Frequently Asked Questions about Individual

What does "Individual" mean?

"Individual" means of, relating to, or distinctively associated with an individual. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: of, relating to, or distinctively associated with an individual. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Individual"?

Other words for "Individual" include baby, being, bird, bod, body, character, cookie and creature. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Individual" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Individual"?

There are 117 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Individual". Common alternatives include baby, being, bird, bod, body, character, cookie, creature, customer and devil.

What is the opposite of "Individual"?

Antonyms of "Individual" include general, generic, popular, public, shared, universal, same and atypical. Near antonyms include animal, beast, beastie and brute.

How do you use "Individual" in a sentence?

Examples of "Individual" in a sentence: "every individual has value"; "our general concept of what constitutes a chair is based on our experience with many individuals that were called chairs"; "everyone has his or her own individual opinion about the subject, but you will have to work together".

Is "Individual" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Individual" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Individual" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.

How do you pronounce "Individual"?

"Individual" is pronounced /ˌin-də-ˈvi-jə-wəl/ and divided into syllables as in·di·vid·u·al.