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.
Dark stars have a smoking gun signature, an absorption feature at 1640 Angstrom, due to the large amounts of singly ionized helium in their atmospheres.
From Science Daily • Oct. 14, 2025
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
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
The report lists several options likely being offered to Mr. Xi singly or in combination, with varying degrees of risk for the ruling Chinese Communist Party.
From Washington Times • Oct. 23, 2023
These causes do not operate singly, and as a rule all four of them are present in some degree.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
