individuation

noun

in·​di·​vid·​u·​a·​tion ˌin-də-ˌvi-jə-ˈwā-shən 

1

: the act or process of individuating: such as

a(1)

: the development of the individual from the universal

(2)

: the determination of the individual in the general

b

: the process by which individuals in society become differentiated from one another

c

psychology : the process in the analytical psychology of Carl Gustav Jung by which the self is formed by integrating elements of the conscious and unconscious mind

d

embryology : regional differentiation along a primary embryonic axis

2

: the state of being individuated

specifically : individuality

Examples of individuation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The remedy for such habits always seems to be greater individuation—an unsurprising response, as Waldman notes, in an era of eroding social safety nets—but that prescription risks cutting out not just the dysfunction but also the connective tissue of human life. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2026

Its discussions of Jungian analysis, dream interpretation, and the individuation process may strike many readers as strange. —Big Think, 14 Nov. 2025

Vocation: Your Soul's Nonnegotiable Carl Jung believed vocation emerges from individuation—our lifelong journey toward psychological wholeness. —Brittney Van Matre, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

Shame is then a natural part of individuation as well as a by-product of our cultural backgrounds and upbringings. —Melissa Petro, TIME, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for individuation

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization

Medical Definition

individuation

noun

in·​di·​vid·​u·​a·​tion -ˌvij-ə-ˈwā-shən 

1

: the process in the analytical psychology of C. G. Jung by which the self is formed by integrating elements of the conscious and unconscious mind

2

: regional differentiation along a primary embryonic axis

individuate

-ˈvij-ə-ˌwāt 

transitive verb

individuated; individuating