bachelor

American  

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

noun

• bachelors
  plural

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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bachelors
  plural

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

See Examples For:

bachelor bachelors

“At a time when California faces significant healthcare workforce shortages, affordable pathways to a bachelor of science in nursing are especially important in rural and underserved communities.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

That's changed since the festival's origins 170 years ago, when bachelor farmers and moneyed visitors would flock to the spa town of Lisdoonvarna to bathe in its mineral-rich waters and socialise.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

The island wants to shed its reputation as a hot spot for British bachelor parties and thrifty package-holidayers and transform into a luxury destination for high-rolling tourists like Americans.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Within a decade she was “Gloria-Steinem-the-antiwar-gorgeous- bachelor girl who was pictured with Henry Kissinger in Time and Life…,” according to a breathless 1970 account in the Los Angeles Times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

He also warned her against love and marriage, with the same insolence with which he insisted that Jaime should find a decent girl and settle down because he was turning into a hopeless bachelor.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

But for students who do get a spot, they can expect to make more than some of the most popular bachelors degrees — at least within four years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Thanks to mid six-figure bonuses, engineers at Samsung and SK Hynix are the hottest bachelors in South Korea.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

A movie where the perennially single New York matchmaker has finally met her match in two highly eligible bachelors?

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2025

Ugly Christmas sweaters: They’re gaudy, loud, and the chosen uniform of seasonal rom-com bachelors.

From Slate ● Dec. 12, 2024

The United States abounded with dollar bills, baseball sluggers, raccoon coats, diamond jewelry—and lonely, immigrant bachelors.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides