individualism

noun in·di·vid·u·al·ism \ ˌin-də-ˈvij-wə-ˌli-zəm , -ˈvi-jə-wə- , -ˈvi-jə-ˌli- \

|Updated on: 30 Jun 2018

Examples: individualism in a Sentence

Definition of individualism

1 a (1) : a doctrine that the interests of the individual are or ought to be ethically paramount; also : conduct guided by such a doctrine

(2) : the conception that all values, rights, and duties originate in individuals

b : a theory maintaining the political and economic independence of the individual and stressing individual initiative, action, and interests; also : conduct or practice guided by such a theory

2 a : individuality

b : an individual peculiarity : idiosyncrasy

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Examples of individualism in a Sentence

a society that believes strongly in individualism
He was respected for his self-reliance and individualism.

Recent Examples of individualism from the Web

More jurisdiction over finances and health gave rise to a general cultural shift toward individualism.

— amy keller laird, SELF, "Wellness Instagram Is Actually Bringing Me Down," 21 June 2018
This damaging form of objectification degrades an individual to a single identifier, drowning individualism and perpetuating fetishism.

— kelsey castañon, refinery29.com, "I'm Latinx — & I'm Fed Up With Being Called "Exotic"," 24 May 2018
Splitting families can cost us for decades Arizona values individualism, and some might argue that parents have a responsibility to make it on their own.

— linda valdez, The Republic | azcentral.com, "Valdez: DCS removes the most kids from high poverty ZIP codes. That's no coincidence," 27 May 2018
This is particularly true in rural Australia, where the majority of farmers are men, who are expected to display an image of rugged individualism.

— jacqueline williams, New York Times, "A Booming Economy With a Tragic Price," 20 May 2018
Happily, Zhao has a sharp sense of when and how to hit the brakes on the wrong, corny kind of rugged individualism.

— michael phillips, Detroit Free Press, "Review: ‘The Rider’ is a Western like no other," 18 May 2018
Cowboys, Fraser reminds us, became symbols of self-sufficient, manly American individualism who avoided demeaning structures of authority in industrializing America.

— steve fraser, Philly.com, "Steve Fraser's 'Class Matters': Why we ignore class to our peril," 18 Mar. 2018
The self-care narrative leads us to an individualism that can erode our sense of collective responsibility to each other.

— jessica cruel, SELF, "How 10 Powerful Women Practice ‘Self-Care Sunday’," 15 May 2018
Authenticity is considered necessary to individualism, but Glover is fascinated by how difficult achieving authenticity even is for his characters.

— todd vanderwerff, Vox, "Atlanta’s bold brilliance is rooted in a surprising nod to TV history," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'individualism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of individualism

1815

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

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individualism Synonyms

Other Philosophy Terms

dialectic, dualism, epistemology, existentialism, metaphysics, ontology, sequitur, solipsism, transcendentalism

INDIVIDUALISM Defined for English Language Learners

individualism

noun

Definition of individualism for English Language Learners

: the belief that the needs of each person are more important than the needs of the whole society or group
: the actions or attitudes of a person who does things without being concerned about what other people will think