INDIVIDUATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does individuation mean? 

• INDIVIDUATION (noun)
  The noun INDIVIDUATION has 2 senses:

1. discriminating the individual from the generic group or species

2. the quality of being individual

  Familiarity information: INDIVIDUATION used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INDIVIDUATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Discriminating the individual from the generic group or species

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

individualisation; individualization; individuation

Hypernyms ("individuation" is a kind of...):

discrimination; secernment (the cognitive process whereby two or more stimuli are distinguished)

Derivation:

individuate (give individual character to)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The quality of being individual

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

individualism; individuality; individuation

Context example:

so absorbed by the movement that she lost all sense of individuality

Hypernyms ("individuation" is a kind of...):

trait (a distinguishing feature of your personal nature)

Attribute:

individual; single (being or characteristic of a single thing or person)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "individuation"):

singularity; uniqueness (the quality of being one of a kind)

distinctiveness; peculiarity; speciality; specialness; specialty (a distinguishing trait)

Derivation:

individuate (give individual shape or form to)

individuate (give individual character to)