Dictionary

individualism en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌɪn.dɪˈvɪ.dʒu.əˌlɪ.zəm/

Etymology

Borrowed from French individualisme, equivalent to individual + -ism.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The tendency for a person to act without reference to others, particularly in matters of style, fashion or mode of thought.
   • He believes that self-improvement and its growing popularity are symptoms of what he calls individualism. 2019 May 2, Nina Avramova, “When you should use self-help programs and when to skip them”, in CNN, archived from the original on 13 Jun 2025:
2. (countable, uncountable) The moral stance, political philosophy, or social outlook that promotes independence and self-reliance of individual people, while opposing the interference with each person's choices by society, the state, or any other group or institution.
   • Republicans and Democrats interpret individualism differently, and those divides are more pronounced than ever in our deeply polarized political climate. 2020 May 19, Scottie Andrew, “America’s response to the coronavirus is the most American thing ever”, in CNN, archived from the original on 29 Jul 2020:
   • [A]nd that one great and all-important occasion and provocative of these beliefs was actually the rise of self-consciousness — that is, the coming of the mind to a more or less distinct awareness of itself and of its own operation, and the consequent development and growth of Individualism, and of the Self-centred attitude in human thought and action. 1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., page 165:
3. (countable, uncountable) The doctrine that only individual things are real.
4. (countable, uncountable) The doctrine that nothing exists but the individual self.

Forms

Antonyms

statism (antonym(s) of “acting without reference to others”) · collectivism (antonym(s) of “acting without reference to others”)

Deriveds

anarcho-individualism · overindividualism · superindividualism · hyperindividualism · rugged individualism

Synonyms

solipsism

Translations (105)

ja 個人主義 (moral stance) · th ปัจเจกนิยม (moral stance) · fa فردگرایی (moral stance) · tl pagkamakasarili (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · yue 個人主義 /个人主义 (moral stance) · cy unigolyddiaeth (moral stance) · sv individualism (moral stance) · sl individualizem (moral stance) · da individualisme (moral stance) · id individualisme (moral stance) · ta தனிமனிதத்துவம் (moral stance) · ro individualism (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · ca individualisme (moral stance) · tk indiwidualizm (moral stance) · eu indibidualismo (moral stance) · nan-hbl 個人主義 /个人主义 (moral stance) · it individualismo (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · hsb indiwidualizm (moral stance) · sh individualìzam (moral stance) · el ατομικισμός (moral stance) · ast individualismu (moral stance) · af individualisme (moral stance) · nb individualisme (moral stance) · ka ინდივიდუალიზმი (moral stance) · ja 個人主義 (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · mi angatakitahitanga (moral stance) · ms individualisme (moral stance) · tl pagkamakasarili (moral stance) · ro individualism (moral stance) · eo individuismo (moral stance) · sh индивидуалѝзам (moral stance) · ru индивидуали́зм (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · eo unuopulismo (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · is einstaklingshyggja (moral stance) · nn individualisme (moral stance) · hy ինդիվիդուալիզմ (moral stance) · pl indywidualizm (moral stance) · hi व्यष्टिवाद (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · ka ინდივიდუალიზმი (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · it individualismo (moral stance) · hu individualizmus (moral stance) · de Individualismus (moral stance) · kn ಪ್ರತ್ಯೇಕತಾವಾದ (moral stance) · lv individuālisms (moral stance) · sh индивидуализам (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · id individualisme (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · es individualismo (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · pt individualismo (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · uz индивидуализм (moral stance) · sh individualizam (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · ru индивидуали́зм (moral stance) · tt индивидуальлек (moral stance) · cs individualismus (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · gl individualismo (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · fi individualismi (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · ky индивидуализм (moral stance) · cmn 個人主義 /个人主义 (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · pl indywidualizm (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · gl individualismo (moral stance) · vi chủ nghĩa cá thể (moral stance) · ko 개인주의 (moral stance) · io individualismo (moral stance) · sw ubinafsi (moral stance) · sq andividualizmi (moral stance) · fr individualisme (moral stance) · mi angatakitahitanga (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · he אִינְדִּיבִידוּאָלִיזְם (moral stance) · be індывідуалізм (moral stance) · hi व्यक्तिवाद (moral stance) · cmn 個人主義 /个人主义 (moral stance) · fi yksilöllisyys (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · tr bireycilik (moral stance) · fr individualisme (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · lmo individualism (moral stance) · mr व्यक्तिवाद (moral stance) · nl individualisme (moral stance) · ko 개인주의 (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · de Individualismus (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · ca individualisme (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · kmr îndîvîdualîzm (moral stance) · mk индивидуализам (moral stance) · tl indibidwalismo (moral stance) · bg индивидуализъм (moral stance) · ga indibhidiúlachas (moral stance) · hi व्यष्टिवाद (moral stance) · ar فردانية (moral stance) · sk individualizmus (moral stance) · uz individualizm (moral stance) · uk індивідуалізм (tendency for a person to act without reference to others) · cs individualismus (moral stance) · kk индивидуализм (moral stance) · te వ్యక్తివాదం (moral stance) · mg fiolonoloanana (moral stance) · el ατομοκρατία (moral stance) · dsb indiwidualizm (moral stance) · gu વ્યક્તિવાદ (moral stance) · uk індивідуалі́зм (moral stance) · pt individualismo (moral stance) · fi individualismi (moral stance) · oc individualisme (moral stance) · vi cá nhân chủ nghĩa (moral stance) · lt individualizmas (moral stance) · es individualismo (moral stance) · vi chủ nghĩa cá nhân (moral stance) · ps ځانگړواله (moral stance)