singulative

[ sing-gyuh-luh-tiv ]

noun

1. a grammatical form or construction that expresses a singular entity or indicates that an individual is singled out from a group, especially as opposed to a collective noun. Snowflake is the singulative formed from the collective noun snow.

adjective

1. noting or pertaining to such a form or construction.

Word History and Origins

Origin of singulative¹

First recorded in 1950–55; from French singulatif, equivalent to singulaire + -atif; singular ( def ), -ative