unicellular

American  

[yoo-nuh-sel-yuh-ler] / ˌyu nəˈsɛl yə lər /

adjective

1. having or consisting of a single cell.

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unicellular British  

/ ˌjuːnɪˈsɛljʊlə /

adjective

1. (of organisms, such as protozoans and certain algae) consisting of a single cell

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unicellular Scientific  

/ yo̅o̅′nĭ-sĕl′yə-lər /

1. Having or consisting of a single cell.

2. Compare multicellular

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Other Word Forms

• unicellularity noun

Etymology

Origin of unicellular

First recorded in 1855–60; uni- + cellular

Example Sentences

Though Jablonski is more bullish on the survival prospects of unicellular life, there is some comfort for the multicellular among us too.

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2025

For example, methane is the second-biggest driver of greenhouse gas emissions after carbon dioxide, but is largely produced by unicellular organisms called archaea.

From Science Daily • Feb. 29, 2024

They are also astonishingly canny for unicellular organisms, with the ability to rapidly develop new defenses against antibiotics and then pass them along to other bacteria through genetic material.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2024

The vast unicellular world gets a single green blob labeled “microbe.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2023

He calls a unicellular organism immortal, simply because its life is preserved in the organisms arising from it by division.

From The Biological Problem of To-day Preformation Or Epigenesis? The Basis of a Theory of Organic Development by Hertwig, Oscar