singly
Americanadverb
-
one at a time; one by one
-
apart from others; separately; alone
Etymology
Origin of singly
First recorded in 1250–1300, singly is from the Middle English word senglely. See single, -ly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dark stars have a smoking gun signature, an absorption feature at 1640 Angstrom, due to the large amounts of singly ionized helium in their atmospheres.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2025
Our catastrophes used to come at us singly: one earthquake at a time, one flood at a time, one economy-busting drought or recession at a time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2025
A 48-year-old Los Angeles-based artist, Rawles is known for her paintings of Black people floating, often singly or in pairs, in rippling watery landscapes, at once hyper-realistic and dreamily abstracted.
From New York Times ● Dec. 2, 2024
But change fees will be eliminated for passengers in the other three groups, who will also be able to buy extras such as seat selection and bringing a carry-on bag in bundles instead of singly.
From Seattle Times ● May 17, 2024
Padding silently over the cold ground from the north, separately, singly, came a number of armored bears—a large number, and among them was their king.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
