individually

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'individually' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to separate people or things that are not connected as a group, or that are viewed or considered separately. For example: "Each member of the team was given a unique mission to work on individually."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"UNHCR considers that individuals who seek asylum must be properly and individually screened for protection needs, in a process which they understand and in which they are able to explain their needs," it said.

The Guardian

Individually, MPs all say that the heckling is a bad thing, but put them in the chamber together and they don't seem to be able to help themselves.

The Guardian

Each apartment is individually designed – one is decorated like an Indian boudoir (sleeps up to four), another has an oriental feel with Japanese "shoji" sliding doors (sleeps up to six), while the penthouse has its own roof garden (sleeps up to nine).

The Guardian - Travel

But on iOS 5 (available across those 200m devices, remember) you just swipe downwards from the menu bar and you get a view on everything that's changed, with granular detail including what emails have come in (so you can go to them individually) or what events there are to deal with and so on.

The Guardian - Tech

First, it is working to build its "ground operations" so activists can engage voters on doorsteps individually.

The Guardian

Update: please note that due to the large volume of response we may not be able to get back to everyone individually.

The Guardian

Rev Paul Nicolson Taxpayers Against Poverty The individually distinguished Core Cities UK Cabinet members are making one bad mistake on devolution.

The Guardian

"It's up to everybody individually," he tells me.

The Guardian

Journalists were called out individually to enter the court building and had to sign in before taking a seat in court.

The Guardian

In such cases not every deletion will be marked individually, as this then clutters the comments.

The Guardian

In the union section of the electoral college, representing a third of the college, union political levy payers vote individually, on ballots requiring them to tick a box saying they support Labour.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "individually" to emphasize that each member of a group is considered separately, especially when their actions or characteristics might otherwise be perceived as a collective.

Common error

Avoid using "individually" with uncountable nouns. For example, it's incorrect to say "individually information"; instead, specify "individual pieces of information" or "each piece of information".

Linguistic Context

The word "individually" functions primarily as an adverb. It modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to indicate that an action is performed or a quality is possessed by each member of a group separately, as supported by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Formal & Business

1%

Science

1%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the adverb "individually" is a grammatically correct and versatile term, primarily used to emphasize the separate actions or qualities of members within a group. Ludwig confirms its common usage across diverse sources, predominantly in news and media contexts. While "individually" maintains a neutral tone suitable for both formal and informal communication, writers should ensure it pairs correctly with countable nouns. Alternatives such as "separately" or "one by one" offer nuanced ways to convey similar meanings, while avoiding redundancy enhances sentence clarity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

separately

Emphasizes the act of treating or considering things apart from each other.

on an individual basis

Highlights the personalized or specific treatment of each case.

singly

Highlights the single or individual nature of each item or person.

one by one

Focuses on the sequential nature of dealing with each item or person.

severally

Indicates distinct and independent actions or responsibilities.

independently

Focuses on the autonomy and lack of connection between actions or entities.

one at a time

Stresses the non-simultaneous handling of items.

person by person

Emphasizes a focus on one person at a time.

distinctly

Emphasizes the clear differentiation between items or people.

in isolation

Highlights the state of being separate and detached from others.

FAQs

How is "individually" used in a sentence?

"Individually" is typically used as an adverb to describe actions performed separately by each member of a group. For example, "The students worked "individually" on their projects".

What are some synonyms for "individually"?

Alternatives to "individually" include "separately", "singly", or "one by one", depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "each individually"?

While not grammatically incorrect, "each individually" can sound redundant. It's often better to use just "each" or rephrase the sentence for clarity. For example, prefer "Each student received a prize" over "Each individually student received a prize".

What's the difference between "individually" and "personally"?

"Individually" refers to doing something separately, while "personally" refers to doing something yourself or relating to your own feelings. For example, "The team members worked "individually" on their tasks," versus "I "personally" prefer coffee over tea".