individual

individual
/in'deuh vij"ooh euhl/, n.
1. a single human being, as distinguished from a group.
2. a person: a strange individual.
3. a distinct, indivisible entity; a single thing, being, instance, or item.
4. a group considered as a unit.
5. Biol.
a. a single organism capable of independent existence.
b. a member of a compound organism or colony.
6. 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.
adj.
7. single; particular; separate: to number individual copies of a limited edition.
8. intended for the use of one person only: to serve individual portions of a pizza.
9. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a particular person or thing: individual tastes.
10. distinguished by special, singular, or markedly personal characteristics; exhibiting unique or unusual qualities: a highly individual style of painting.
11. existing as a distinct, indivisible entity, or considered as such; discrete: individual parts of a tea set.
12. of which each is different or of a different design from the others: a set of individual coffee cups.
[1375-1425; late ME < ML individualis, equiv. to L individu(us) indivisible (in- IN-3 + divid(ere) to DIVIDE + -uus deverbal adj. suffix) + -alis -AL1]
Syn. 2. See person.
Usage. 1, 2. As a synonym for person, INDIVIDUAL is standard, occurring in all varieties of speech and writing: Three individuals entered the room, each carrying a sheaf of papers. Some object to this use, insisting that INDIVIDUAL can mean only "a single human being, as distinguished from a group": An individual may have concerns that are ignored by his or her party.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Synonyms:
, , , , , , , , , , , / , , , , , , / , , , , , , , , (in the high or emphatic sense), , ,


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  • individual — [in΄də vij′o͞o əl; ] often [ in΄divij′əl] adj. [ML individualis < L individuus (< in , IN 2 + dividuus, divisible < dividere, to DIVIDE) + AL] 1. Obs. not divisible; not separable 2. existing as a single, separate thing or being; single; …   English World dictionary

  • individual — individual. См. индивидуум. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

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