individualism
/ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəlɪzəm/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌɪndɪˈvɪdʒuəlɪzəm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌin-də-ˈvi-jə-wə-ˌli-zəm -ˈvij-wə-, -ˈvi-jə-ˌli-/ (ame, mw)
individualism — 名詞
1. A belief system or political philosophy that holds the freedom, rights, and pers
個人主義
重視個人權利自由的政治思想
A belief system or political philosophy that holds the freedom, rights, and personal choices of each individual person should be valued more highly than the goals or decisions of a group or government. In practice, this often means supporting limited government, free markets, and personal responsibility for one's own life.
Pablo argued that rugged individualism drove the economic growth of the American West.
Pablo 認為，粗獷的個人主義推動了美國西部的經濟成長。
collocation: rugged individualism
Mei-Lin's political theory class explored how individualism shaped the legal systems of modern democracies.
Mei-Lin 的政治理論課探討了個人主義如何塑造現代民主國家的法律制度。
The senator's new book celebrates individualism as the foundation of personal freedom and economic success.
參議員的新書頌揚個人主義，將其視為個人自由與經濟成功的基礎。
Fumi worried that unchecked individualism would weaken the public services that poor families depend on.
Fumi 擔心不受約束的個人主義會削弱貧困家庭所依賴的公共服務。
In many villages, older residents see Western individualism as a threat to their traditional way of life.
在許多村莊裡，年長居民將西方個人主義視為對他們傳統生活方式的威脅。
- self-reliance
focuses on practical personal capability rather than a political doctrine
- libertarianism
a narrower, more specific political movement that builds on individualism
- independence
broader term that can refer to nations or personal autonomy, less ideological
- collectivism
the opposite belief that the group's needs should come before individual desires
- socialism
a system based on collective or government ownership rather than individual freedom
用法筆記
Frequently appears in political and economic discussions in contrast with collectivism or socialism. Subject of the sentence is often an institution, writer, or movement rather than a person.
常見錯誤
2. The quality of being different from other people in your character, appearance,
個性；獨特性
與眾不同的個人風格或特質
The quality of being different from other people in your character, appearance, or way of doing things — especially when that difference is a positive expression of your own personality rather than a desire to follow the crowd.
Keiko's bold sense of fashion shows a strong individualism that many of her classmates admire.
Keiko 大膽的時尚品味展現出強烈的個性，許多同學都很欣賞。
possessive + strong individualism
The school encourages students to express their individualism through art, music, and creative writing.
學校鼓勵學生透過藝術、音樂和創意寫作來表達自己的個性。
express + possessive + individualism
Chitra painted her room bright yellow and purple — a small act of individualism that made her feel free.
Chitra 把房間漆成亮黃色和紫色——這個展現獨特性的小小舉動讓她感到自由。
The band's individualism comes through in their unusual mix of jazz and traditional folk music.
這個樂團的獨特性來自於他們將爵士樂與傳統民謠做出不尋常的融合。
Hana refused to wear the school uniform, saying her individualism was more important than the dress code.
Hana 拒絕穿校服，她說自己的個性比服裝規定更重要。
- originality
emphasises creative newness rather than simple difference
- uniqueness
a stronger claim that no one else is quite like this
- individuality
the closest synonym, slightly more neutral and less ideological
- conformity
the act of behaving like everyone else to fit in
- sameness
a lack of variety or distinction between people