uniqueness
Americannoun
-
the quality of being unlike anything else of its kind or of being solitary in type or characteristics.
Owing to its physical and behavioral uniqueness, the osprey is classified in its own family.
-
the quality of being unequaled, incomparable, or unusual.
Critics are praising the uniqueness of her performance art.
Other Word Forms
- nonuniqueness noun
Etymology
Origin of uniqueness
First recorded in 1800–05; unique ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
Explanation
Are you one of a kind? Then you must have some kind of uniqueness, some quality that makes you stand out from all the rest. When you break down the word uniqueness, it’s easy to see what it means. First you notice the word unique, which means “one of a kind.” Then you notice -ness, a common suffix that’s used to form nouns that refer to a state of being. Put it together and you get uniqueness, a noun used to describe that certain something that makes a person or thing uncommon or singular, like "the uniqueness of a famous opera singer’s voice."
Vocabulary lists containing uniqueness
Sula
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The Suffix -ness, Part 4
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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.
Many astronauts talk about a profound appreciation of the uniqueness of Earth and that all humans share the planet together.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
"There's a bright band, then nothing, bright band, nothing. No other pulsar shows this kind of striation. That uniqueness made the Crab Pulsar especially interesting -- and challenging -- to understand."
From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026
"Those plants have been preserved with us, and that underscores their uniqueness: if we lose them, we won't be able to restore them," Ivannikov said.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
His fame was due to the uniqueness of his designs, which broke free of traditional concepts and constraints that had guided architects for centuries.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026
The discovery that the Earth is turning rather than the sky moving had important implications for the uniqueness of the Earth and the possibility of life elsewhere.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
