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individual


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Definition of individual

adjective

  • 1 [attributive] single; separate:individual tiny flowers
  • 2of or for a particular person:the individual needs of the children
  • designed for use by one person:a casserole served in individual portions
  • characteristic of a particular person or thing:she was surprised at how individual the others' bodies were
  • having a striking or unusual character; original:she creates her own, highly individual landscapes

noun

  • a single human being as distinct from a group:boat trips for parties and individuals
  • a single member of a class:they live in a group or as individuals, depending on the species
  • [with adjective] informal a person of a specified kind:the most selfish, egotistical individual I have ever met
  • a distinctive or original person.

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'indivisible'): from medieval Latin individualis, from Latin individuus, from in- 'not' + dividuus 'divisible' (from dividere 'to divide')

individual in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of individual in the US English dictionary