individuate

Individuate is a transitive verb that means to identify as an individual or to cause something to become distinct from others. It can refer to the act of distinguishing one person or object from a group, or to forming or highlighting the individuality of a subject. In everyday language, the verb is often replaced by differentiate, distinguish, or individualize.

In scholarly contexts, individuate is less common than the noun individuation, which describes the process of becoming an individual. The verb may appear in discussions of therapy, education, linguistics, or philosophy to describe the act of treating or classifying something as an individual, or of developing individuality. In psychology, especially Jungian psychology, the related process of individuation is central, though the verb form is rarely used in technical texts.

Forms of the verb include individuates (present), individuating (present participle), and individuated (past). The word is formed by adding the standard English agentive/verb-form suffix -ate to the noun or concept of an individual or individuation.

See also: individuation; differentiation; identity; distinction.