Vocabulary Builder: individual

Click to see Vol. I, Issue 7 of the newsletter in which this article first appeared.

individual (noun)

• Meaning: one person; or a single thing, separate from others

• Plural: individuals

• Verb Forms: individualize, individualizes, individualized, individualizing (to make individual: "The committee encouraged the participants to individualize their nametags.")

• Other Noun Forms:

  • individuality: the unique characteristic(s) of a certain individual: "Even members of some lower life-forms--fish, reptiles, etc.--may exhibit individuality in their behavior."

  • individualist (plural: individualists): one who asserts his or her individualistic traits: "Sometimes being an individualist makes it hard to get along with others."

  • individualism: the principle of being an individualist: "Her boss supported her individualism and didn't insist on her wearing the company uniform."

• Adjective Forms:

  • individual: separate: "The pretzels came in individual packages."

  • individualistic: insisting on being a unique individual: "His individualistic behavior made it difficult for his office mates to accept him."

• Adverb Forms:

  • individually: one by one: "The group arrived individually before sitting down together."

  • individualistically: in an individualistic way: "She dressed individualistically to stand out from the crowd."

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PRACTICE:

Place the correct form of "individual" in each sentence. Correct answers are in the first comment below.

1. individual (adj.)
2. individual (noun)
3. individualism
4. individualist
5. individualistic
6. individualistically
7. individualists
8. individuality
9. individualize
10. individualized
11. individualizes
12. individualizing
13. individually
14. individuals

1. If you behave too ________, people will think you're weird.
2. A team is made up of many agreeable ________.
3. Some people admire the type of person we call a "rugged ________."
4. Please place each sandwich in an ________ bag.
5. Each slice of cheese comes ________ wrapped. What a waste of plastic!
6. Dealing with a group of ________ is a little bit like "herding cats."
7. He ________ his kids' lunches by adding each kid's favorite snack.
8. Did you meet the ________ I told you about? What was he like?
9. He ________ his house by putting up black Christmas lights.
10. Some feel that a person's ________ is what makes him or her worth knowing.
11. Mel was so ________ that no one was comfortable around him.
12. Many organizations find it difficult to tolerate ________ in their members.
13. You can ________ your wardrobe with these colorful scarves.
14. I have been ________ my dogs by giving each one a different collar.