individualism

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   The tendency for a person to act without reference to others, particularly in matters of…

   The tendency for a person to act without reference to others, particularly in matters of style, fashion or mode of thought.

   • He believes that self-improvement and its growing popularity are symptoms of what he calls individualism.
2. 2

   The moral stance, political philosophy, or social outlook that promotes independence and…

   The moral stance, political philosophy, or social outlook that promotes independence and self-reliance of individual people, while opposing the interference with each person's choices by society, the state, or any other group or institution.

   • Republicans and Democrats interpret individualism differently, and those divides are more pronounced than ever in our deeply polarized political climate.
3. 3

   The doctrine that only individual things are real.

4. ›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer

   1. 4

      The doctrine that nothing exists but the individual self.

The neighborhood

• synonymsolipsism
• antonymcollectivismantonym(s) of “acting without reference to others”
• antonymstatismantonym(s) of “acting without reference to others”