Individuais

Individuais is the plural form of the Portuguese adjective individual, used to describe nouns that refer to separate, single units rather than a collective. The singular form is individual; the plural form is individuais and it does not change with gender in the plural—both masculine and feminine nouns take individuais.

In usage, individuais is common across law, sociology, sport, and everyday language to emphasize separateness or uniqueness of each element. Examples include direitos individuais (individual rights), atividades individuais (individual activities), jogos ou esportes individuais (individual games or sports), and atletas individuais (individual athletes). The term often contrasts with itens coletivos or atividades coletivas to delineate what is done or possessed by one person or unit versus a group.

Linguistic notes: individuais can modify a wide range of nouns, from abstract concepts like liberdades individuais to concrete items like itens individuais. It is typically contrasted with terms such as coletivos or comunitários to mark distinctions between single-unit and group-oriented referents.

Etymology: the word derives from the Latin root indivisus or related formations that gave rise to the adjective individual in Romance languages, conveying the sense of separateness and distinctness that underpins its use in Portuguese.