singular

[sing-gyuh-ler]

adjective

1. extraordinary; remarkable; exceptional.

   a singular success.

   Synonyms: peculiar
   Antonyms: usual

2. unusual or strange; odd; different.

   singular behavior.

   Synonyms: curious, queer, bizarre, peculiar

3. being the only one of its kind; distinctive; unique.

   a singular example.

   Synonyms: rare, uncommon, peculiar

4. separate; individual.

   Synonyms: single, peculiar

5. Grammar.,  noting or pertaining to a member of the category of number found in many languages that indicates that a word form has one referent or denotes one person, place, thing, or instance, as English boy and thing, which are singular nouns, or goes, a singular form of the verb go.

6. Logic.

   1. of or relating to something individual, specific, or not general.

   2. (of a proposition) containing no quantifiers, as “Socrates was mortal.”

7. Mathematics.

   1. of or relating to a linear transformation from a vector space to itself that is not one-to-one.

   2. of or relating to a matrix having a determinant equal to zero.

8. Obsolete.,  private.

9. Obsolete.,  single.

noun

Grammar.

1. the singular number.

2. a form in the singular.

singular

/ ˈsɪŋɡjʊlə /

adjective

1. remarkable; exceptional; extraordinary

   a singular feat

2. unusual; odd

   a singular character

3. unique

4. denoting a word or an inflected form of a word indicating that not more than one referent is being referred to or described

5. logic of or referring to a specific thing or person as opposed to something general

noun

1. grammar

   1. the singular number

   2. a singular form of a word

singular

1. In nouns, pronouns, and verbs, the grammatical form that refers to only one thing. In the following sentence, the singular words are italicized: “The police officer stops anyone who crosses before the light changes.” (Compare plural; see agreement.)

Other Word Forms

• singularness noun
• singularly adverb
• supersingular adjective
• unsingular adjective
• unsingularly adverb
• unsingularness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of singular¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word singulāris. See single, -ar ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of singular¹

C14: from Latin singulāris _single

Example Sentences

Offscreen, her voice, whether in memoirs, interviews or social media posts, remained singular: a blend of self-deprecation, curiosity and fierce independence.

Read more on Salon

In “Earth Shapers,” we have a singular guide.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

From his teenage years, he’s shown a preternatural feel for the game, a singular ability to dictate action and flow.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Oracle’s ups and downs reflect his unparalleled vision and singular skill set, as well as his braggadocio and blind spots.

Read more on Barron's

The self-dubbed “Russian Machine” got there with brute force and a singular focus that prioritized scoring above all else.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bizarre 
• exceptional 
• extraordinary 
• peculiar 
• rare 
• remarkable 
• strange 
• uncommon 
• unimaginable 
• unparalleled 
• unprecedented 
• unusual