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.
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solitary or sole; lone.
He was the single survivor.
- Synonyms:
- isolated
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unmarried or not in a romantic relationship.
a single man.
- Synonyms:
- unwed
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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.
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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.
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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
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singling
present participle
-
to pick or choose (one) from others (usually followed byout ).
to single out a fact for special mention.
- Synonyms:
- select
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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.
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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.
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Cricket. a hit for which one run is scored.
-
Informal. a one-dollar bill.
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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
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(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:
"We were putting out thousands of party balloons every single week," she said, but they were only there "for a matter of hours simply to be popped and thrown in the trash".
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
One could imagine how nice it felt for Thomas to hit an RBI single in the fourth inning, in his first game with the Dodgers and the team’s 12th sellout of the season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
A single woman said her therapist pushed her to get married—insisting that being alone was unnatural—even though she found her single life was full and satisfying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Because the research was conducted at a single center and involved patients of Japanese ethnicity, the researchers say the findings will need to be tested in larger multicenter and international studies.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
Dropping to our knees again, we crawled single file out into my bedroom.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Yamamoto surrendered two runs — both via singles from Pirates designated hitter Nick Gonzales — on five hits over 6⅓ innings, striking out nine and walking one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion made her return to tennis in June, four years after "evolving away" from the sport.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Sinner lifted his fifth career Grand Slam singles title by beating Alexander Zverev in the All England Club final.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Nationals was held in Chicago in 1967, he boycotted the singles event until 1972, when he returned and won the title four years in a row.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Though past his peak, he still played a mean game of singles.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
Greens MP Konstantin von Notz, vice-chairman of Germany's intelligence oversight committee, singled out Russia over the weapons case.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer cited “shortcomings” in the text and singled out “our trade deficits with these countries.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Rubio also singled out Kennedy’s commitment to a meat-and-sauerkraut-heavy diet, saying the health secretary travels with his own food.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
Christian Yelich then singled to load the bases before Sasaki got William Contreras to chase a high fastball and a pair of splitters below the zone for a strikeout.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
One thought Joe had never entertained, even in his most uncomfortable dreams, was that somehow he would be singled out to be a leader.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
In his remarks on Monday, the president made a reference to the anger at the time, singling out opposition in Europe in particular.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 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
Mr. Urban has natural swagger and he’s the best aspect here, although that’s like singling out the most fragrant part of a swamp.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
It reminded Lazlo of that awful day at the Enquiries desk when he’d requisitioned Lazlo’s books: the sudden cut of his eyes singling Lazlo out.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
