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.

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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

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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); see origin at -al ¹, -arium ( def. ) )

Explanation

There are two criteria needed in order to be a bachelor: one is that you can’t be married, and the other is that you have to be a man. Any people outside of these criteria are some other word. The origins of bachelor are unclear, but some similar Latin words are baccalāris (“farm hand”), baccalārium (“dairy farm”), and bacca (“cow”). Maybe some bachelors spent a lot of time milking cows before getting married in the olden days. The phrase “eligible bachelor” means a guy who would make a great husband, and the phrase “confirmed bachelor” describes a man who is having so much fun being single that he’ll probably never marry. Either way, pronounce it like this: BATCH-uh-lur.

Example Sentences

Clarke High School and went on to earn a bachelor of arts degree from New York University before landing an internship at NBC News in New York.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

This keeps your cash liquid enough to help you quit a toxic job or book a last-minute flight to a bachelor or bachelorette party, while still earning 3% or 4% interest.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

Andrew, a bachelor after his marriage to Sarah Ferguson ended in 1996, had a reputation for enjoying the company of women and using military helicopters to ferry him to golf events.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

He received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1992.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

“Some nonsense about a bachelor party. I just want to take a sleeping pill and go to bed.”

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt