bachelor

American  

[bach-ler, bach-uh-ler] / ˈbætʃ lər, ˈbætʃ ə lər /

noun

1. an unmarried man.

2. a person who has been awarded a bachelor's degree.

3. a fur seal, especially a young male, kept from the breeding grounds by the older males.

4. Also called bachelor-at-arms.  a young knight who followed the banner of another.

5. Also called household knight.  a landless knight.

---

bachelor British  

/ ˈbætʃlə, ˈbætʃələ /

noun

1. 1. an unmarried man

   2. ( as modifier )

      a bachelor flat

2. 1. a person who holds the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Science, etc

   2. the degree itself

3. Also called: bachelor-at-arms.  (in the Middle Ages) a young knight serving a great noble

4. a young male seal, esp a fur seal, that has not yet mated

---

Usage

Gender-neutral form: single person

Other Word Forms

• bachelorhood noun
• bachelorlike adjective
• bachelorly adjective
• nonbachelor noun
• prebachelor adjective

Etymology

Origin of bachelor

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bacheler “squire, young knight,” from Old French; origin uncertain; probably from assumed Vulgar Latin baccalār(is) “tenant farmer, farm hand”; akin to Late Latin baccalāria “piece of land,” originallly plural of assumed baccalārium “dairy farm,” equivalent to assumed baccālis “pertaining to cows” (from bacca, variant of Latin vacca “cow” + -ālis + -ārium); -al ¹, -arium ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

Yet recent bachelor’s recipients in their 20s were 5.6 percentage points less likely to be employed than those who finished vocational programs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Koppell, the president, holds a bachelor’s degree in government and a master’s and doctorate in political science.

From The Wall Street Journal

On the whole, though, people with bachelor’s degrees earn considerably more than those without.

From The Wall Street Journal

“A lot of these candidates have bachelor’s or master’s degrees,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

More than seven million bachelor’s degree recipients have entered the labor force since January 2020.

From The Wall Street Journal