uniqueness

American  

[yoo-neek-nis] / juˈnik nɪs /

noun

• uniquenesses
  plural

1. 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.

2. the quality of being unequaled, incomparable, or unusual.

   Critics are praising the uniqueness of her performance art.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonuniqueness
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• uniquenesses
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of uniqueness

First recorded in 1800–05; unique ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

uniqueness uniquenesses

“That’s extremely ignorant, because it bypasses the uniqueness between the groups.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026

Collectors praise hand-carved mahjong sets for their uniqueness and beauty.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

The deep and liquid market for Treasuries also means investors are likely find a buyer or seller for their securities, a factor that adds a touch of uniqueness to U.S. debt.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

"It gives a real chance to preserve and present their uniqueness and beauty," he says.

From BBC ● May 30, 2026

I don’t have a variable for eye color, but I bet his uniqueness would scare some people.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

Brain research on women only really took off in the 1990s so what we are finding today are the uniquenesses of men and women.

From New York Times ● Dec. 19, 2016

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