Individually

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˌɪndɪˈvɪd͡ʒ(u)əli/

Definitions

1. Each entity is examined on its own rather than as part of a group
2. Considering or dealing with each item distinct from the rest
3. Treating entities as distinct units instead of collectively

Etymology: "Individually" is simply "individual" with the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" attached. The suffix traces back through Old English "-līce" to a Proto-Germanic ancestor meaning something like "having the form or appearance of," which is also the root of the modern "like" and of "-ly" in countless other adverbs such as "quickly" or "usually." Adding it to "individual" gives the sense of doing something in an individual manner, one thing at a time. "Individual" itself comes from the Latin "individuus," meaning "indivisible," built from "in-" ("not") and "dividuus" ("divisible"). The original idea was of something that cannot be split apart, which explains why "individually" so naturally means treating each thing as a separate, whole unit rather than lumping things together as a group.

Synonyms: separately, distinctly, alone, personally, singularly

Antonyms: collectively, together, jointly, as a group, uniformly