- a single human being, as distinguished from a group.
- a person: a strange individual.
- a distinct, indivisible entity; a single thing, being, instance, or item.
- a group considered as a unit.
- a single organism capable of independent existence.
- a member of a compound organism or colony.
- Cards. a duplicate-bridge tournament in which each player plays the same number of hands in partnership with every other player, individual scores for each player being kept for each hand.
- single; particular; separate: to number individual copies of a limited edition.
- intended for the use of one person only: to serve individual portions of a pizza.
- of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular person or thing: individual tastes.
- distinguished by special, singular, or markedly personal characteristics; exhibiting unique or unusual qualities: a highly individual style of painting.
- existing as a distinct, indivisible entity, or considered as such; discrete: individual parts of a tea set.
- of which each is different or of a different design from the others: a set of individual coffee cups.
Origin of individual
- of, relating to, characteristic of, or meant for a single person or thing
- separate or distinct, esp from others of its kind; particularplease mark the individual pages
- characterized by unusual and striking qualities; distinctive
- obsolete indivisible; inseparable
- a single person, esp when regarded as distinct from others
- a single animal or plant, esp as distinct from a species
- a single member of a compound organism or colony
- Also called: particularan object as opposed to a property or class
- an element of the domain of discourse of a theory
Word Origin for individual
"single object or thing," c.1600, from individual (adj.). Colloquial sense of "person" is attested from 1742. Latin individuum meant "an atom, indivisible particle;" in Middle English individuum was used in sense of "individual member of a species" from early 15c.
early 15c., "one and indivisible" (with reference to the Trinity), from Medieval Latin individualis, from Latin individuus "indivisible," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + dividuus "divisible," from dividere "divide" (see divide). Not common before c.1600 and the 15c. usage might be isolated. Sense of "single, separate" is 1610s; meaning "intended for one person" is from 1889.