single-minded
Americanadjective
-
having or showing a single aim or purpose.
a single-minded program.
-
dedicated; resolute; steadfast.
He was single-minded in his concern for truth.
- Synonyms:
- firm, inflexible, persevering, determined
adjective
Other Word Forms
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.
A former star student and long-distance runner from a prominent family in Amarillo, Texas, Griffin goes into her first session with a competitor’s single-minded determination to, as she writes, “get to the finish line.”
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 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
When that level of single-minded intensity is brought to reforming the physical body, Campbell said, it can set the conditions for other kinds of extremism.
From Slate ● Jan. 22, 2026
The kid who combined a 6-foot-5 frame with single-minded focus once watched film so late into the night that he accidentally locked himself in the football facility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026
Not with the old man and his single-minded whims.
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
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.
