An individual is a single person or thing, seen separately from a group. It can also be an adjective meaning relating to just one person or thing.
It comes from Medieval Latin “individualis,” from Latin “individuus,” meaning “not divisible” or “cannot be divided,” from “in-” (not) and “dividere” (to divide). The idea was something that is a complete unit on its own.
The word individual literally means “can’t be divided” without losing what it is. It highlights that each person is a whole universe of experiences, not just a member of a group. In philosophy and politics, this one word has fueled big debates about personal freedom versus the needs of society.
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