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un individu
/œ̃ ɛ̃.di.vy/
a person
Un individu est entré dans le magasin.
A person entered the store.
formalinformal
A person, especially when referring to an individual in a general or unspecified way.
La police a arrêté un individu suspect.
The police arrested a suspicious person.
Often used in formal or neutral contexts to refer to a person without specifying gender or identity.
Collocations
un individu suspecta suspicious personun individu dangereuxa dangerous person
Pro Tip
Gender-neutral usage
'Un individu' is gender-neutral and can refer to any person, unlike 'un homme' (man) or 'une femme' (woman).
Word Origin
From Latin 'individuum', meaning 'indivisible' or 'individual'.
Usage Notes
While 'un individu' can refer to any person, it is often used in contexts where the person's identity is not specified or is of secondary importance.
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais