Personal vs. Individual — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 6, 2023
"Personal" relates to a specific person, often involving private or emotional aspects. "Individual" refers to a single, distinct person or thing, emphasizing uniqueness or singularity.
Difference Between Personal and Individual
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Personal" and "Individual" are terms often used interchangeably, but they hold nuanced differences. "Personal" typically touches on matters associated with a specific person, including their feelings, possessions, or experiences. It conveys a sense of intimacy or privacy.
"Individual," on the other hand, places emphasis on the singular nature of an entity, whether it's a person or an object. When referring to a person, it underscores their distinct identity or character separate from a group.
A "Personal" experience or story is something intimately connected to someone's life, potentially carrying emotional weight or significance. This term can encompass everything from personal belongings to personal beliefs.
An "Individual" choice or action, meanwhile, stresses that the decision or act was made by one specific entity, independent of others. This term can also indicate that something is not part of a set or group.
In summary, while both terms can refer to specific entities, "Personal" leans more towards the private or emotional realm, while "Individual" emphasizes singularity or distinction.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Relating to a specific person.
Referring to a single entity.
Emphasis
Privacy or intimacy.
Uniqueness or singularity.
Context
Often emotional or private.
Stresses distinction from a group.
Common Uses
Personal belongings, personal story.
Individual choice, individual identity.
Nuance
More emotionally charged.
More factually based.
Compare with Definitions
Personal
Relating to an individual's private life.
She shared her personal journey through the memoir.
Individual
Pertaining to a single person or thing as opposed to a group.
Each individual has a unique fingerprint.
Personal
Referring to something done in person.
He made a personal visit to congratulate her.
Individual
Single; separate.
An individual slice of pizza.
Personal
Relating to the body or appearance.
He took the comment as a personal insult.
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.
Personal
Belonging to or affecting a particular person rather than anyone else
Her personal fortune was recently estimated at £37 million
Individual
Single; separate
Individual tiny flowers
Personal
Of or concerning one's private life, relationships, and emotions rather than one's career or public life
The book describes his sporting career and gives little information about his personal life
Individual
Of or for a particular person
The individual needs of the children
Personal
Relating to a person's body
Personal hygiene
Individual
A single human being as distinct from a group
Boat trips for parties and individuals
Personal
Of or denoting one of the three persons.
Individual
Of or relating to an individual, especially a single human
Individual consciousness.
Personal
Existing as a self-aware entity, not as an abstraction or an impersonal force
He rejected the notion of a personal God
Individual
By or for one person
Individual work.
An individual portion.
Personal
An advertisement or message in the personal column of a newspaper.
Individual
Existing as a distinct entity; separate
Individual drops of rain.
Personal
Of or relating to a particular person; private
“Like their personal lives, women's history is fragmented, interrupted” (Elizabeth Janeway).
Individual
Marked by or expressing individuality; distinctive or individualistic
An individual way of dressing.
Personal
Done, made, or performed in person
A personal appearance.
Individual
Special; particular
Each variety of melon has its individual flavor and texture.
Personal
Done to or for or directed toward a particular person
A personal favor.
Individual
Serving to identify or set apart
"There was nothing individual about him except a deep scar ... across his right cheek" (Rebecca West).
Personal
Concerning a particular person and that person's private business, interests, or activities; intimate
I have something personal to tell you.
Individual
A single human considered apart from a society or community
The rights of the individual.
Personal
Aimed pointedly at the most intimate aspects of a person, especially in a critical or hostile manner
An uncalled-for, highly personal remark.
Individual
A human regarded as a distinctive or unique personality
Always treated her clients as individuals.
Felt he was quite an individual.
Personal
Tending to make remarks, or be unduly questioning, about another's affairs
As the student debate got heated, it got personal.
Individual
A single organism as distinguished from a species, community, or group.
Personal
Of or relating to the body or physical being
Personal cleanliness.
Individual
A member of a collection or set; a specimen.
Personal
Relating to or having the nature of a person or self-conscious being
Belief in a personal God.
Individual
A person considered alone, rather than as belonging to a group of people.
He is an unusual individual.
Personal
(Law) Of or relating to the person
Personal property as opposed to real property.
Personal jurisdiction as opposed to in rem jurisdiction.
Individual
(legal) A single physical human being as a legal subject, as opposed to a legal person such as a corporation.
Personal
(Grammar) Indicating grammatical person.
Individual
An object, be it a thing or an agent, as contrasted to a class.
Personal
A personal item or notice in a newspaper.
Individual
(statistics) An element belonging to a population.
Personal
Personals A column in a newspaper or magazine featuring personal notices.
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.
Personal
Pertaining to persons (human beings as opposed to things or animals).
Individual
Intended for a single person as opposed to more than one person.
Individual personal pension; individual cream cakes
Personal
Of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals
Her song was her personal look at the values of friendship.
Personal values
Personal desire
Individual
Not divisible without losing its identity.
Personal
Dealing with subjects about which one wishes (or people usually wish) to maintain privacy or discretion; not for public view; sensitive, intimate.
You can't read my diary—it is personal.
That's a very personal question.
I can't believe you went through my drawers and looked at all my personal things!
Personal reasons
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.
Personal
(euphemistic) Intended for sexual use.
Personal lubricant; personal massager
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.
Personal
Pertaining to the external or bodily appearance; corporeal; bodily.
Personal charms
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.
Personal
Done in person; without an intermediary.
A personal interview
A personal meeting
Personal settings
Individual
An independent, or partially independent, zooid of a compound animal.
Personal
Relating to an individual, their character, conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive manner
Personal reflections or remarks
Individual
A human being;
There was too much for one person to do
Personal
(grammar) Denoting a person or people.
A personal pronoun
Individual
A single organism
Personal
Denoting ownership.
One's personal vehicle, as opposed to a company vehicle
Individual
Being or characteristic of a single thing or person;
Individual drops of rain
Please mark the individual pages
They went their individual ways
Personal
An advertisement by which an individual attempts to meet others with similar interests.
Individual
Separate and distinct from others of the same kind;
Mark the individual pages
On a case-by-case basis
Personal
One's own property or asset
Individual
Characteristic of or meant for a single person or thing;
An individual serving
Separate rooms
Single occupancy
A single bed
Personal
Pertaining to human beings as distinct from things.
Every man so termed by way of personal difference.
Individual
Concerning one person exclusively;
We all have individual cars
Each room has a private bath
Personal
Of or pertaining to a particular person; relating to, or affecting, an individual, or each of many individuals; peculiar or proper to private concerns; not public or general; as, personal comfort; personal desire.
The words are conditional, - If thou doest well, - and so personal to Cain.
Individual
Characteristic of a particular person or thing.
She has her individual style of painting.
Personal
Pertaining to the external or bodily appearance; corporeal; as, personal charms.
Individual
A single person, distinct from a group.
Every individual in the room agreed.
Personal
Done in person; without the intervention of another.
The immediate and personal speaking of God.
Individual
Relating to the rights or needs of a single person.
The law protects individual freedoms.
Personal
Relating to an individual, his character, conduct, motives, or private affairs, in an invidious and offensive manner; as, personal reflections or remarks.
Personal
Denoting person; as, a personal pronoun.
Personal
A movable; a chattel.
Personal
A short newspaper article about a particular person or group
Personal
Concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality;
A personal favor
For your personal use
Personal papers
I have something personal to tell you
A personal God
He has his personal bank account and she has hers
Personal
Particular to a given individual
Personal
Of or arising from personality;
Personal magnetism
Personal
Intimately concerning a person's body or physical being;
Personal hygiene
Personal
Indicating grammatical person;
Personal verb endings
Personal
Pertaining to one's own self as opposed to others.
This is my personal opinion on the matter.
Personal
Owned or used by a particular person.
That's her personal diary; don't touch it.
Common Curiosities
Can "Individual" refer to objects as well?
Yes, "Individual" can refer to a single, distinct item, not just people.
Is a "Personal experience" the same as an "Individual experience"?
Not always. A "Personal experience" is private or emotional, while an "Individual experience" emphasizes it's unique to one person.
Do "Personal" and "Individual" mean the same thing?
While they can sometimes be used interchangeably, "Personal" often implies privacy or emotion, while "Individual" emphasizes singularity.
Can "Personal" refer to physical appearances?
Yes, comments or judgments about someone's appearance can be deemed "Personal."
If something is "Individual," is it always "Personal"?
No, "Individual" emphasizes distinction from others, not necessarily intimacy or emotion.
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Written 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.
