individuality

/ˈɪndəˈvɪdʒəˌwælədi/

/ɪndɪvɪdʒuˈælɪti/

Other forms: individualities

Whether it’s eating breakfast for lunch, learning Celtic step dancing, building birdhouses from popsicle sticks, showing off your shark tattoo, or speaking with an Australian accent on Tuesdays, all of these things can express your individuality, meaning what makes you unique.

Use the noun individuality to refer to the sum total of characteristics that make up a particular individual. Individuality consists of the good, the bad — and even the crazy — that make a person distinct. The word can be describe the state or value of being unique, like the members of a group whose individuality makes for lively discussions, or a having your car painted a special color — neon green, perhaps? — to express the owner's individuality.

Definitions of individuality

1. noun

   the quality of being individual
   “so absorbed by the movement that she lost all sense of individuality”

   synonyms: individualism, individuation

   antonyms:

   commonality

   sharing of common attributes

   types:

   singularity, uniqueness

   the quality of being one of a kind

   distinctiveness, peculiarity, speciality, specialness, specialty

   a distinguishing trait

   foible, idiosyncrasy, mannerism

   a minor weakness or peculiarity in someone's character

   type of:

   trait

   a distinguishing feature of your personal nature
2. noun

   the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity
   synonyms: identity, personal identity, selfhood

   types:

   gender, gender identity

   your identity as it is experienced with regard to your individuality as male or female, both male and female, or neither; awareness normally begin in infancy and is reinforced during adolescence

   identification

   the attribution to yourself (consciously or unconsciously) of the characteristics of another person (or group of persons)

   personhood

   being a person

   type of:

   personality

   the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual