individuates

Individuates is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb individuate, meaning to distinguish or mark as separate individuals; to treat as separate units within a group; to identify the characteristics or relations that make an entity a distinct person or thing rather than a general type. The verb is built from the noun individual with the suffix -ate, and its etymology traces to Latin ideas of indivisibility and individuality.

Usage and context: In philosophy and the social sciences, to individuate is to specify the unique identity of an object or person within a class, often by citing spatio-temporal location, causal connections, or particular properties. This use is closely related to, but distinct from, individuation—the broader process by which generalities or populations are translated into concrete individuals. In data science and logic, to individuate may refer to the act of assigning a unique identifier to each data point, thereby distinguishing each item as a separate entity.

Grammar and scope: Indanduates is a verb form; there is no common standalone noun "individuates." The related terms to consult include individuation, individual, identification, and classification when discussing the marking of singular identities within a set.

See also: individuation, individual, identity, classification.