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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
There are 10 unique events scheduled from Friday, July 15, to Tuesday, July 19.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2022
The AP contacted officials in relation to 23 unique events, eight from 2021 and the rest from this year, that were referenced between two lists shared on Facebook and Twitter.
From Seattle Times • May 3, 2022
The Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June will be full of "unique" events, the Queen's pageant master has told BBC Politics East.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2022
Among those unique events are the surprise pop-up dinners Petroni likes to share with his many social media followers.
From Washington Times • Dec. 5, 2016
In law some situations call for the product of hands, not of machines, for they involve not repetition, where the general elements are significant, but unique events, in which the special circumstances are significant.
From An Introduction to the Philosophy of Law by Pound, Roscoe
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.
