individuellen

Individuellen is a German adjective ending. It represents the plural, declined form of the adjective individuell, and is commonly used when the noun it modifies is plural and bears a definite or possessive determiner. In such contexts the ending -en appears, for example: die individuellen Merkmale (the individual features), mit den individuellen Lösungen (with the individual solutions), der individuellen Merkmale (the features of the individual in genitive plural).

In contrast, the bare plural without a determiner typically takes a different ending: individuelle Merkmale (without article, nominative plural). The full set of plural forms in the weak/mixed inflection pattern includes feminine and masculine alike in the same -en ending after definite or possessive determiners: die individuellen Merkmale, meine individuellen Merkmale, deiner individuellen Merkmale.

Etymology traces the root to individuell, derived from the Latin indidualis via the German noun Indivíduo/Individuum lineage, reflecting the notion of distinct, separate characteristics or personalization. The meaning in modern German ranges from “personalized” to “distinctive to each person or item,” depending on context.

Usage notes:

- Indivuellen is not a standalone noun; the corresponding noun is Individuum (singular) and Individuen (plural). Individuellen is strictly an adjective form.

- It is prevalent in academic, medical, design, and business language to express customization or individuality, as in individualisierte Ansätze, individuelle Bedürfnisse, or individuelle Merkmale.

- Be mindful of other gender/number endings of individuell: individuelle (plural without article or with some determiners), individuelles (neuter singular), individuelle (feminine singular) in other case/determiner contexts.

See also: Indivíduum and Induvidual/Individuell as related terms in German, and the contrast with Indivíduen, the plural noun for individuals.