single
Americanadjective
-
only one in number; one only; unique; sole.
a single example.
- Synonyms:
- particular, distinct
-
of, relating to, or suitable for one person only.
a single room.
-
solitary or sole; lone.
He was the single survivor.
- Synonyms:
- isolated
-
unmarried or not in a romantic relationship.
a single man.
- Synonyms:
- unwed
-
pertaining to the unmarried state.
the single life.
-
of or noting a parent who brings up a child or children alone, without a partner.
-
of one against one, as combat or fight.
-
consisting of only one part, element, or member.
a single lens.
-
sincere and undivided.
single devotion.
-
separate, particular, or distinct; individual.
Every single one of you must do your best. It's the single most important thing.
-
uniform; applicable to all.
a single safety code for all manufacturers.
-
(of a bed or bedclothes) twin-size.
-
(of a flower) having only one set of petals.
-
British. of standard strength or body, as ale, beer, etc.
-
(of the eye) seeing rightly.
verb (used with object)
-
singles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
singled,
past participle, past
-
singling
present participle
-
to pick or choose (one) from others (usually followed byout ).
to single out a fact for special mention.
- Synonyms:
- select
-
Baseball.
-
to cause the advance of (a base runner) by a one-base hit.
-
to cause (a run) to be scored by a one-base hit (often followed by in orhome ).
-
verb (used without object)
-
singles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
singled,
past participle, past
-
singling
present participle
noun
-
singles
plural
-
one person or thing; a single one.
- Synonyms:
- individual
-
an accommodation suitable for one person only, as a hotel room or a table at a restaurant.
to reserve a single.
-
a ticket for a single seat at a theater.
-
British.
-
a one-way ticket.
-
a steam locomotive having one driving wheel on each side.
-
-
singles, people who are unmarried or not in a romantic relationship, especially if relatively young.
It's not uncommon for singles to feel lonely on Valentine Day.
-
Also called one-base hit. Baseball. a base hit that enables a batter to reach first base safely.
-
(used with a singular verb) singles, a match with one player on each side, as a tennis match.
-
Golf. twosome.
-
Cricket. a hit for which one run is scored.
-
Informal. a one-dollar bill.
-
Music.
-
a phonograph record, CD, or cassette usually having two songs.
I probably won't buy the single.
-
one of the songs recorded on a single.
a hit single.
-
a song released or promoted separately from the rest of the album to which it belongs.
A viral video put that single back on the charts.
-
-
Textiles. Often singles
-
reeled or spun silk that may or may not be thrown.
-
a one-ply yarn of any fiber that has been drawn and twisted.
-
adjective
-
existing alone; solitary
upon the hill stood a single tower
-
distinct from other things; unique or individual
-
composed of one part
-
designed for one user
a single room
a single bed
-
(also postpositive) unmarried
-
connected with the condition of being unmarried
he led a single life
-
(esp of combat) involving two individuals; one against one
-
sufficient for one person or thing only
a single portion of food
-
even one
there wasn't a single person on the beach
-
(of a flower) having only one set or whorl of petals
-
determined; single-minded
a single devotion to duty
-
(of the eye) seeing correctly
to consider something with a single eye
-
rare honest or sincere; genuine
-
archaic (of ale, beer, etc) mild in strength
noun
-
something forming one individual unit
-
an unmarried person
-
a gramophone record, CD, or cassette with a short recording, usually of pop music, on it
-
golf a game between two players
-
cricket a hit from which one run is scored
-
-
a pound note
-
a dollar note
-
-
See single ticket
verb
-
to select from a group of people or things; distinguish by separation
he singled him out for special mention
-
(tr) to thin out (seedlings)
-
short for single-foot
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
singlesimple
-
singlessimple
-
have singledperfect
-
has singledperfect
-
am singlingprogressive
-
are singlingprogressive
-
is singlingprogressive
-
have been singlingperfect progressive
-
has been singlingperfect progressive
Past
-
singledsimple
-
had singledperfect
-
was singlingprogressive
-
were singlingprogressive
-
had been singlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of single
First recorded in 1275–1325; late Middle English (adjective), Middle English sengle, from Old French, from Latin singulus “individual, single” (usually in the plural singuli “one apiece”); cf. simplex , simultaneous
Explanation
If something is totally alone, or consists of only one part, it's single, like a single sock in your clean laundry basket that's mysteriously lost its mate. Maybe there's a single house on a street, or a single red rose in a bouquet. People can be single too, if they aren't attached romantically to another person: "She had a terrible boyfriend, but now she's single." Single can also mean "distinct," or separate from everything else, like when you read every single word of a book to prepare for a test at school. And if you "single someone out," you place the focus on that one person.
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.
See Examples For:
I knew who they were; I’d heard the single on WNYU, maybe for once the opening band wouldn’t suck.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
"Transitional periods are a normal part of EU enlargement... Permanent restrictions on access to the single market are an entirely different matter," Taras Vysotsky said in a statement to AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
"Our results show that feeding schedules can influence behavior for days afterwards, making it essential to look at behavioral patterns across the entire feeding cycle rather than a single feeding event."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
Each of the former Barclays traders in Wednesday's successful appeal had originally been convicted of a single count of conspiracy to defraud as result of alleged attempts to influence financial benchmark rates.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
At the centre lay a single black stone tooth.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
But in eight postseason at-bats so far, Ohtani has recorded just two hits, both singles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Martell's cover of the song One Day at a Time, written by Marijohn Wilkin and Kris Kristofferson, reached the top of the UK singles chart for three weeks in October 1979.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Three singles, a hit batter and a grand slam later, the Tigers trailed for good.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Frustration with online dating in Japan is fueling a surge in business for matchmaking services, whose ads in the Tokyo subway advise singles to “leave life’s fateful encounters to the pros.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
We got two singles sandwiched around a strikeout and the crowd got ugly.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
"I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination," said Burnham, who feels football fans are singled out compared to those of other sports and events.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
Both governments have singled out agriculture as a promising area for growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Christian singled out a detailed five-tier system that would set how many degrees a community college district can offer based on how its student outcomes compare with every other district in the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
“Everyone does it,” they tell themselves in the hopes of being supplied some measure of cover upon being singled out.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
He had been singled out for this special revelation.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Even the slumping Freddie Freeman contributed to the Dodgers’ 11-hit attack, ending an 0-for-11 slide with a broken-bat single in the fourth then singling again in the eighth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
"We improved performance across our key financial metrics," he said, singling out gains in net revenue and operating income among others.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
The current Knicks roster has also captivated him, Mamdani said, singling out the relentless intensity of forward Josh Hart, “It is in many ways a reflection of New York City hustle,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Asked to name the best thing he ate during season two, he immediately says "everything" - before singling out a handful of pasta dishes, including one made with different types of mozzarella.
From BBC ● May 9, 2026
I don’t want Peeta singling himself out as a target for the Gamemakers’ anger.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
