individuate

verb

in·​di·​vid·​u·​ate ˌin-də-ˈvi-jə-ˌwāt How to pronounce individuate (audio)
individuated; individuating

transitive verb

1
: to give individuality to
2
: to form into a distinct entity

Examples of individuate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Enemies are the forces that divide us, that individuate us. Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 5 July 2025 The enemies are the forces that divide us, that individuate us. Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 July 2025 Visually they are individuated, but we are given to know almost nothing about them, and certainly not their inner life. Barry Schwabsky, Artforum, 1 Apr. 2025 Nowhere is the dichotomy more evident than Helly/Helena, elegantly individuated by Lower. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025 According to eating disorder expert Kyla Fox, MSW, RSW, the essence of adolescence is about individuating and developing autonomy. Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 22 July 2024 Somebody had really taken a lot of effort to get their voices differentiated and individuated. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2023 The time could be better spent individuating the six-headed protagonist. Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2023 Each chapter is narrated by a different woman — or spirit, in the case of the deceased Minh — but Minh, Hương and Ann don’t always feel fully individuated as characters. Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 4 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of individuate was in 1614

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Cite this Entry

“Individuate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/individuate. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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