each
adj.adj. every single person or thing in a group, thought of one by one. You use it when you want to focus on the individuals rather than the whole group together.
adj. referring to every individual member of a group of two or more, considered separately. Functions as a distributive word to emphasise individual units within a set.
Each student receives a new book today.
The teacher gave each child a different task to complete before the end of the lesson.
While the team shares a collective goal, each member must take personal responsibility for their specific contribution to the final report.
From Middle English eche, elche, ilch, from Old English ǣlċ, contraction of ǣġhwelċ. Comparable to aye + alike. Compare Scots ilk, elk (“each, every”), Saterland Frisian älk (“each”), West Frisian elk, elts (“each”), Dutch elk (“each”), Low German elk, ellik (“each”), German Low German elk, elke (“each, every”), German jeglicher (“any”). By surface analysis, Old English ā + which.
Used with a singular countable noun. When followed by 'of', it requires a plural noun or pronoun (e.g., 'each of the students').
each studentseach student'Each' must be followed by a singular countable noun when used directly as a determiner.