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Synonyms

single-minded

American  
[sing-guhl-mahyn-did] / ˈsɪŋ gəlˈmaɪn dɪd /

adjective

  1. having or showing a single aim or purpose.

    a single-minded program.

  2. dedicated; resolute; steadfast.

    He was single-minded in his concern for truth.
    Synonyms:
    firm, inflexible, persevering, determined
single-minded British  

adjective

  1. having but one aim or purpose; dedicated

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • single-mindedly adverb
  • single-mindedness noun

Etymology

Origin of single-minded

First recorded in 1570–80

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.

Mr. Mauch’s prose is not flowery, but direct, single-minded and determined, like the man himself.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

The revolutionary pharoah builds a great city and reduces spiritual chaos by focusing on a single-minded form of worship.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Every decision she has made since getting the job seems the result of a single-minded desire to please her new bosses.

From Slate • Jan. 6, 2026

Newey is a single-minded character who is intensely competitive.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2025

I kept up my single-minded obsession with finding food, to the point where I had no time or room in my mind for other thoughts.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson

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.