Meaning & use
individual
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Meanings
nouncountable
One person seen on their own, apart from any group.
Grammar: Often more formal than person: the rights of the individual.
Patterns
- an individual with something
- the rights of the individual
The law protects the rights of every individual.
Each individual in the room had a different opinion.
The study followed individuals over twenty years.
adjectivebefore a noun
Single and separate, considered one at a time rather than as part of a group.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: individual attention, individual items.
Patterns
- individual attention
- individual item
Each individual item is wrapped in paper.
The tutor gave every pupil individual attention.
Individual players were praised, not just the team.
adjectivecomparable
Distinctive and different from others, showing personal character.
Grammar: Describes style or taste: a very individual way of dressing.
She has a very individual way of painting.
The hotel's rooms each have an individual style.
His individual approach surprised the judges.
nouncountableinformal
A person, often one the speaker views critically or with curiosity.
Grammar: Used with an adjective such as odd or strange.
A suspicious individual was seen near the building.
He is a rather strange individual.
The mayor called him a dangerous individual.
Word forms
| plural | individuals |
|---|
Common combinations
- private individual
- The letter came from a private individual, not a company.
- individual freedom
- Many constitutions protect individual freedom.
- individual needs
- Teachers try to meet the individual needs of each child.
- individual basis
- Each application is judged on an individual basis.
- gifted individual
- She is a gifted individual with a talent for languages.
Synonyms and how they differ
- person
- Person is the ordinary everyday word, whereas individual stresses one person standing apart from a group.
- separate
- Separate as an adjective means apart, but individual also emphasizes that each item is treated singly.
- distinctive
- Distinctive describes a feature that makes something stand out, while individual says it reflects personal character.
Opposites
Word family
- individually adverb
- one by one, separately
- individuality noun
- the qualities that make a person different from others
- individualist noun
- a person who acts independently of others
- individualize verb
- to make something suit one person
Commonly confused: individual or individuals?
individual vs individuals
Plural individuals is not an alternative to people in casual chat; it sounds official.
Practice
The coach spent time with each player, giving ___ advice.
Choose one answer.
Individual advice is advice for one person at a time. Collective, general and public advice would be aimed at the whole group.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “individual”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.