individual是相对于集体、家庭、社会而言的个人。

The purpose of the law is to protect the right of the individual.该法律目的是为了保护个人权利。
Do social pressures make it hard for us to become individuals?是社会压力使我们难以成为具有个性的人吗?
Johnson was plainly a canny individual.约翰逊显然是个狡猾的人物。

individual用作形容词表示“单个的”,含有专门为某人准备的,有别于其他的含意,使之在群体之中很容易被区别开来。

用作定语
▲～+n.
Each individual house has its own yard.每栋房子都有各自的庭院。
Students can apply for individual tuition.学生可以申请个别指导。
She has her own individual style of doing things.她有自己独特的行事风格。
He has a very individual style of painting.他有一种非常独特的绘画风格。
The individual character of the teacher is not clear to me.那位老师的个性我不太清楚。

individual, characteristic, distinctive, peculiar
参见characteristic条。
individual, personal, private
参见private条。

［同义词］   personal, single, uncommon
［反义词］   common, general
［词源］＜中古拉丁语individualis(不可分开的)