To identify, distinguish or constitute something as an individual.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- individuate an entity
- individuate objects
On the page
The theory used continuity to individuate the entity across changes.
The classification could not individuate the objects from the shared description alone.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- individuate
- Past tense
- individuated
- Past participle
- individuated
- Present participle
- individuating
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- individuate
- Present continuous
- am/is/are individuating
- Present perfect
- have/has individuated
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been individuating
- Past
- individuated
- Past continuous
- was/were individuating
- Past perfect
- had individuated
- Past perfect continuous
- had been individuating
- Future
- will individuate
- Future continuous
- will be individuating
- Future perfect
- will have individuated
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been individuating
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: individuate; individuates; individuated; individuated; individuating Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: institutional and conceptual change, philosophical orientation, qualification of recurrence and degree. Disciplines: academic writing, philosophy, cross-disciplinary analysis. Commonness: uncommon. Third-person singular: individuates.
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