singularity

American  

[sing-gyuh-lar-i-tee] / ˌsɪŋ gyəˈlær ɪ ti /

noun

plural

singularities

1. the state, fact, or quality of being singular.

2. a singular, unusual, or unique quality; peculiarity.

3. Mathematics. singular point.

4. Astronomy. (in general relativity) the mathematical representation of a black hole.

5. Also called technological singularity.  Usually the singularity a hypothesized future era or event when exponential improvements in computer intelligence and advances in technology will result in an acute change in human society and evolution.

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singularity British  

/ ˌsɪŋɡjʊˈlærɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state, fact, or quality of being singular

2. something distinguishing a person or thing from others

3. something remarkable or unusual

4. maths

   1. a point at which a function is not differentiable although it is differentiable in a neighbourhood of that point See also pole 2

   2. another word for discontinuity

5. astronomy a hypothetical point in space-time at which matter is infinitely compressed to infinitesimal volume

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singularity Scientific  

/ sĭng′gyə-lăr′ĭ-tē /

1. A point of infinite density and infinitesimal volume, at which space and time become infinitely distorted according to the theory of General Relativity. According to the big bang theory, a gravitational singularity existed at the beginning of the universe. Singularities are also believed to exist at the center of black holes.

2. Mathematics A point at which the derivative does not exist for a given function but every neighborhood of which contains points for which the derivative exists.

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Other Word Forms

• nonsingularity noun

Etymology

Origin of singularity

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English singularite, from Middle French singularité or Late Latin singulāritās (stem singulāritāt- ); singular, -ity

Example Sentences

"We're in the singularity," said Bill Lees, head of crypto custody firm BitGo, referencing a theoretical future in which technology surpasses human intelligence.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

Charting silver on what it calls a log-periodic power law singularity framework that has pinpointed past bubbles in 2010 and 2020, Haigh and team acknowledge this year does look like a bubble too.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025

Son had grown obsessed with the singularity, the hypothetical moment where AI becomes smarter than humans and transforms civilization, and was dreaming up ideas such as building AI-powered robot factories across the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 21, 2025

The singularity of this type of event has drawn people from all over Southern California, even historically conservative South Orange County.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2024

The singularity in my stomach was back, pulsing and writhing in sympathetic harmony with the one I knew lived deep inside Babou.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

Related Words

• particularity
• uniqueness