singly
Americanadverb
-
one at a time; one by one
-
apart from others; separately; alone
Etymology
Origin of singly
First recorded in 1250–1300, singly is from the Middle English word senglely. See single, -ly
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.
Our catastrophes used to come at us singly: one earthquake at a time, one flood at a time, one economy-busting drought or recession at a time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2025
A 48-year-old Los Angeles-based artist, Rawles is known for her paintings of Black people floating, often singly or in pairs, in rippling watery landscapes, at once hyper-realistic and dreamily abstracted.
From New York Times ● Dec. 2, 2024
Sometimes these symptoms occur in combination, or singly.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 18, 2024
But change fees will be eliminated for passengers in the other three groups, who will also be able to buy extras such as seat selection and bringing a carry-on bag in bundles instead of singly.
From Seattle Times ● May 17, 2024
Right after the picture it begins to snow, small dry flakes falling singly out of the hard northern November sky.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
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.
