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:
"The worst outcome is that you don't take advantage of it, that you are left behind. That is the single worst outcome," Huang said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
A single proposal can’t bring it out of its deficit for the long term, experts said.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
One of the deadliest single incidents in July was a strike on a reported funeral procession in Nuseirat.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Because it never matures as a single unit, rate spikes can lead to prolonged paper losses, or realized losses if you sell during a down cycle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Joey is the valedictorian, having earned all As and Bs, except for a single C in geometry.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
The next inning, however, he surrendered five runs as the Cardinals kept chipping away with five singles, a hit batter, a walk and a sacrifice fly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
During that time, she became so accustomed to playing like 23-time major singles champion Serena that her coaches had to help her rediscover her natural style.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
The 30-year-old had not won a main-draw singles match at a major since reaching the second round of the 2025 Australian Open.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
She managed to have a country hit with three different versions of it, while Houston’s mountain-moving 1992 rendition became one of the bestselling singles of all time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
When she’s done, Lourdes strides to the register, pulls out nine singles and a roll of pennies for the afternoon’s work, and hands it to Maribel.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
As evidence of the success of this new approach, Vought singled out one company by name in his testimony, a buzzy startup called Bilt.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026
In the same speech, he singled out the female protesters.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
On its website, the state’s economic development agency singled out costs associated with improving local transportation routes, such as Louisiana’s Highway 82.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
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
The tide rolls with corporate fortunes and the global economy, and relos are not singled out in census statistics.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
And doing so would raise troubling questions about why President Trump is singling out Governor Cook,” Lowell wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 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
In a bold move, Avis executives directly addressed the recent spike in volatility on a call with investors this week, singling out a single seller.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
I know he’s making eye contact with all of us as he speaks but I can’t help but feel that he’s singling me out as he waxes pirate poetic.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
