Individual vs. Entity — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on November 5, 2023
An individual refers to a single person or organism, while an entity is a broader term that includes individuals, companies, and organizations.
Difference Between Individual and Entity
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
An individual is specifically a single human being or organism distinguished from a group. In contrast, an entity encompasses any being, including individuals, corporations, states, or organizations that can be identified as a single unit.
The term individual often refers to personal, human aspects, emphasizing uniqueness and personhood. Entity, however, is a more impersonal term that could refer to any reality capable of being distinct and independent, including legal, corporate, or supernatural beings.
In legal contexts, an individual has rights, responsibilities, and social roles linked to personhood. An entity is recognized in law as having certain legal rights and obligations, but it is not limited to natural persons; it also includes legal persons such as companies or governments.
When considering accountability, an individual is responsible for their actions to a community or society. In the case of an entity, especially a non-human one, it often requires a group of individuals (such as directors or officers) to act and make decisions on its behalf.
In summary, an individual is typically a single human being with personal attributes and social roles, while an entity is a broader concept that includes not only individuals but also groups, organizations, and other corporate or governmental units.
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Comparison Chart
Definition Scope
Single person or organism.
Broad scope: any being or unit.
Legal Recognition
As a person with rights.
As a unit with rights, including non-human.
Impersonality
Personal and unique.
Can be impersonal.
Context Usage
Focus on human aspect.
Used in legal, corporate contexts.
Accountability
Personal responsibility.
Can have collective responsibility.
Compare with Definitions
Individual
An individual possesses a distinct personality or character.
Her individuality shone brightly in her art.
Entity
An entity can be an organization with a specific purpose.
The non-profit entity aimed to serve the community.
Individual
Single; separate
Individual tiny flowers
Entity
In law, an entity is recognized as having certain rights and responsibilities.
The entity was liable for damages.
Individual
An individual is a single human being, separate from a group.
Each individual is responsible for their own actions.
Entity
An entity is a company or institution seen as a single body.
The entity's board of directors voted on the new policy.
Individual
An individual is one member of a larger community or collective.
As an individual, he felt his voice was seldom heard.
Entity
An entity is anything that exists as its own distinct unit.
The corporation was considered a separate legal entity.
Individual
An individual is an independent entity in sociology and psychology.
The study focused on the choices made by the individual.
Entity
Entity can refer to a being with existence, like spirits or deities.
They believed the forest was home to many spiritual entities.
Individual
In biology, an individual is a single organism capable of independent existence.
The individual organism adapts to its environment.
Entity
A thing with distinct and independent existence
Church and empire were fused in a single entity
Individual
An individual is that which exists as a distinct entity. Individuality (or self-hood) is the state or quality of being an individual; particularly (in the case of humans) of being a person unique from other people and possessing one's own needs or goals, rights and responsibilities.
Entity
Something that exists as a particular and discrete unit
Persons and corporations are equivalent entities under the law.
Individual
Of or for a particular person
The individual needs of the children
Entity
The fact of existence; being.
Individual
A single human being as distinct from a group
Boat trips for parties and individuals
Entity
The existence of something considered apart from its properties.
Individual
Of or relating to an individual, especially a single human
Individual consciousness.
Entity
That which has a distinct existence as an individual unit. Often used for organisations which have no physical form.
Individual
By or for one person
Individual work.
An individual portion.
Entity
The existence of something considered apart from its properties.
Individual
Existing as a distinct entity; separate
Individual drops of rain.
Entity
(databases) Anything about which information or data can be stored in a database; in particular, an organised array or set of individual elements or parts.
Individual
Marked by or expressing individuality; distinctive or individualistic
An individual way of dressing.
Entity
The state or quality of being or existence.
The group successfully maintains its tribal entity.
Individual
Special; particular
Each variety of melon has its individual flavor and texture.
Entity
A spirit, ghost, or the like.
Individual
Serving to identify or set apart
"There was nothing individual about him except a deep scar ... across his right cheek" (Rebecca West).
Entity
(science fiction) An alien lifeform that has no corporeal body.
Individual
A single human considered apart from a society or community
The rights of the individual.
Entity
A real being, whether in thought (as an ideal conception) or in fact; being; essence; existence.
Self-subsisting entities, such as our own personality.
Fortune is no real entity, . . . but a mere relative signification.
Individual
A human regarded as a distinctive or unique personality
Always treated her clients as individuals.
Felt he was quite an individual.
Entity
That which is perceived or known or inferred to have its own distinct existence (living or nonliving)
Individual
A single organism as distinguished from a species, community, or group.
Individual
A member of a collection or set; a specimen.
Individual
A person considered alone, rather than as belonging to a group of people.
He is an unusual individual.
Individual
(legal) A single physical human being as a legal subject, as opposed to a legal person such as a corporation.
Individual
An object, be it a thing or an agent, as contrasted to a class.
Individual
(statistics) An element belonging to a population.
Individual
Relating to a single person or thing as opposed to more than one.
As we can't print them all together, the individual pages will have to be printed one by one.
Individual
Intended for a single person as opposed to more than one person.
Individual personal pension; individual cream cakes
Individual
Not divisible without losing its identity.
Individual
Not divided, or not to be divided; existing as one entity, or distinct being or object; single; one; as, an individual man, animal, or city.
Mind has a being of its own, distinct from that of all other things, and is pure, unmingled, individual substance.
United as one individual soul.
Individual
Of or pertaining to one only; peculiar to, or characteristic of, a single person or thing; distinctive; as, individual traits of character; individual exertions; individual peculiarities.
Individual
A single person, animal, or thing of any kind; a thing or being incapable of separation or division, without losing its identity; especially, a human being; a person.
An object which is in the strict and primary sense one, and can not be logically divided, is called an individual.
That individuals die, his will ordains.
Individual
An independent, or partially independent, zooid of a compound animal.
Individual
A human being;
There was too much for one person to do
Individual
A single organism
Individual
Being or characteristic of a single thing or person;
Individual drops of rain
Please mark the individual pages
They went their individual ways
Individual
Separate and distinct from others of the same kind;
Mark the individual pages
On a case-by-case basis
Individual
Characteristic of or meant for a single person or thing;
An individual serving
Separate rooms
Single occupancy
A single bed
Individual
Concerning one person exclusively;
We all have individual cars
Each room has a private bath
Common Curiosities
What types of entities are there?
Entities include individuals, corporations, states, organizations, and even supernatural beings.
What defines an individual?
An individual is a single person or a specific organism.
Can an individual be a legal entity?
Yes, in the eyes of the law, individuals are legal entities with rights and obligations.
How does one establish an entity legally?
Through registration and legal processes, like incorporating a company.
Is an individual always a human being?
Usually, but it can also refer to a single organism in biological contexts.
How is individuality different from entity's identity?
Individuality is personal uniqueness, while an entity's identity could represent a collective or corporate image.
Can an entity be a person?
Yes, a person can be considered an entity, but entity can also refer to broader units like organizations.
What's the difference between individual rights and entity rights?
Individual rights are personal, while entity rights pertain to the legal unit as a whole.
Can an entity exist without individuals?
No, entities like companies or organizations are made up of individuals.
Do individuals have the same legal status as entities?
Yes, individuals and entities like corporations can both have legal status, but the nature of their rights and responsibilities can differ.
Can an entity have a physical form?
Yes, entities like corporations have a physical presence through their operations and offices.
Can entities own property?
Yes, legal entities can own property, enter contracts, and sue or be sued.
Do all entities have legal capacity?
Not all; some entities like informal groups may not have legal capacity until they undergo legal processes to be recognized as such.
Is 'entity' a legal term?
Yes, it's often used in legal contexts to refer to units with rights and responsibilities.
Is individuality important in the concept of an entity?
It can be, especially when considering the entity's composition or the individual roles within it.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
