individuation

Other forms: individuations

Individuation is the process by which an individual becomes distinct. Individuation distinguishes you from everybody else.

The word individual is a good clue to the meaning of individuation, which is how a being becomes an independent, separate entity. This usually refers to a psychological process described by Carl Jung. For Jung, individuation involved becoming your own person, with your own beliefs and ideals that might be separate from those of your parents and society. Individuation is a lifelong process involving all the choices that make you uniquely yourself. Individuation is also called individualization.

Definitions of individuation

1. noun

   the quality of being individual
   synonyms: individualism, individuality

   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

   discriminating the individual from the generic group or species
   synonyms: individualisation, individualization

   type of:

   discrimination, secernment

   the cognitive process whereby two or more stimuli are distinguished