singular

American  

[sing-gyuh-ler] / ˈsɪŋ gjə lər /

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.

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noun

Grammar.

• singulars
  plural

1. the singular number.

2. a form in the singular.

singular British  

/ 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

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noun

1. grammar

   1. the singular number

   2. a singular form of a word

singular Cultural  

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.)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• singulars
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of singular

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

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Explanation

If something is extraordinary, remarkable, or one of a kind, you can say it is singular. A singular opportunity to sing onstage with a rock star is a remarkable opportunity. Seeing the single inside singular can help you understand its meaning in the sense of one. In grammar, singular means one, as opposed to plural, which means more than one. But singular’s not always––or singularly––about being unique. Walking through a foggy cemetery might give you a singular feeling––or a feeling that’s odd and peculiar––that ghosts could possibly be real.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

singular singulars

Marvel Studios described him as "a singular talent, a generous collaborator and a true gentleman".

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

Pearson has called for addressing the root causes of crime by improving schools and economic opportunities instead of a singular focus on incarceration.

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026

Add to those a declining catch, warming water which is pushing what Train called the lobster "sweet spot" out deeper and a shifting tariff policy, and Maine's singular coastal heritage industry is facing peril.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

But it has also highlighted the singular influence of Musk over the war, as Starlink provides a lifeline for Ukrainian forces on the front lines attacking Russian troops and defending themselves from strikes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

When the priest finally declared his candidacy for president, Farmer wrote in a journal, “Perhaps this is a singular chance to change Haiti.”

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Mike Evans, Geisinger’s chief pharmacy officer, said clinicians deal in singulars.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 1, 2018

The stylebook entry retains the old advice to try to write around the problem, perhaps by changing singulars to plurals, before using the singular they as a last resort.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 4, 2015

And there are what we call "singulars," which are those creations on bread that falls outside these other groups but are still vital to the sandwich landscape, like the muffuletta.

From New York Times ● Apr. 14, 2015

In the meantime, when you do use stand-ins for singulars, get them right.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

For more about there with singulars and plurals, see pages 111-112.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

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Related Words

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

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