singular

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sin·gu·lar

(sĭng′gyə-lər)

adj.

1. Being only one; individual; lone: a singular tree in the meadow.

2. Being the only one of a kind; unique: "Our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared" (Barack Obama).

a. Being beyond what is ordinary, especially in being exceptionally good; remarkable: "Dinners with [our two friends] became the evenings we looked forward to with singular pleasure" (David Halberstam).

b. Strange or unusual: "I accordingly obeyed forthwith what I still considered a very singular summons" (Edgar Allan Poe).

4. Grammar

a. Of, relating to, or being a noun, pronoun, or adjective denoting a single person or thing or several entities considered as a single unit.

b. Of, relating to, or being a verb expressing the action or state of a single subject.

5. Logic Of or relating to the specific as distinguished from the general; individual.

n. Grammar

1. The singular number or a form designating it.

2. A word having a singular number.

[Middle English singuler, from Old French, from Latin singulāris, from singulus, single; see single.]

sin′gu·lar·ly adv.

sin′gu·lar·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

singular

(ˈsɪŋɡjʊlə)

adj

1. remarkable; exceptional; extraordinary: a singular feat.

2. unusual; odd: a singular character.

3. unique

4. (Linguistics) 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) logic of or referring to a specific thing or person as opposed to something general

(Grammar) grammar

a. the singular number

b. a singular form of a word

[C14: from Latin singulāris single]

ˈsingularly adv

ˈsingularness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sin•gu•lar

(ˈsɪŋ gyə lər)

adj.

1. extraordinary; remarkable; exceptional: a singular success.

2. unusual or strange; odd; different: singular behavior.

3. being the only one of its kind; unique: a singular example.

4. separate; individual.

5. of or belonging to the grammatical category of number used to indicate that a word has one referent or denotes one person, place, thing, or instance, as child,it, or goes.

6. Logic.

a. of or pertaining to something individual, specific, or not general.

b. (of a proposition) containing no quantifiers.

7. the singular number.

8. a word or other form in the singular. Abbr.: sing.

[1300–50; < Latin singulāris. See single, -ar¹]

sin′gu•lar•ly, adv.

Singular

of boars: a pack of boars—Bk. of St. Albans, 1486.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	singular - the form of a word that is used to denote a singleton singular form descriptor, form, signifier, word form - the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something; "the inflected forms of a word can be represented by a stem and a list of inflections to be attached" plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one
Adj.	1.	singular - unusual or striking; "a remarkable sight"; "such poise is singular in one so young" remarkable extraordinary - beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable; "extraordinary authority"; "an extraordinary achievement"; "her extraordinary beauty"; "enjoyed extraordinary popularity"; "an extraordinary capacity for work"; "an extraordinary session of the legislature"
	2.	singular - beyond or deviating from the usual or expected; "a curious hybrid accent"; "her speech has a funny twang"; "they have some funny ideas about war"; "had an odd name"; "the peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"; "something definitely queer about this town"; "what a rum fellow"; "singular behavior" peculiar, queer, rum, rummy, curious, funny, odd strange, unusual - being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird; "a strange exaltation that was indefinable"; "a strange fantastical mind"; "what a strange sense of humor she has"
	3.	singular - being a single and separate person or thing; "can the singular person be understood apart from his culture?"; "every fact in the world might be singular...unlike any other fact and sole of its kind"-William James individual, single - being or characteristic of a single thing or person; "individual drops of rain"; "please mark the individual pages"; "they went their individual ways"
	4.	singular - composed of one member, set, or kind plural - composed of more than one member, set, or kind
	5.	singular - grammatical number category referring to a single item or unit plural - grammatical number category referring to two or more items or units
	6.	singular - the single one of its kind; "a singular example"; "the unique existing example of Donne's handwriting"; "a unique copy of an ancient manuscript"; "certain types of problems have unique solutions" unique single - existing alone or consisting of one entity or part or aspect or individual; "upon the hill stood a single tower"; "had but a single thought which was to escape"; "a single survivor"; "a single serving"; "a single lens"; "a single thickness"

singular

adjective

1. single, individual The pronoun 'you' can be singular or plural.

2. remarkable, unique, extraordinary, outstanding, exceptional, rare, notable, eminent, uncommon, conspicuous, prodigious, unparalleled, noteworthy a smile of singular sweetness
remarkable common, normal, ordinary, usual, conventional, routine, everyday, commonplace, unremarkable, run-of-the-mill, unexceptional, common or garden

3. unusual, odd, strange, extraordinary, puzzling, curious, peculiar, eccentric, out-of-the-way, queer, oddball (informal), atypical, wacko (slang), outré, out there (slang) He was without doubt a singular character.
unusual common, normal, usual, conventional, routine, everyday, commonplace, unremarkable, run-of-the-mill, unexceptional, common or garden

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

singular

adjective

1. Being or related to a distinct entity:

discrete, individual, particular, separate, single.

2. Alone in a given category:

lone, one, only, particular, separate, single, sole, solitary, unique.

Idioms: first and last, one and only.

3. Without equal or rival:

alone, incomparable, matchless, nonpareil, only, peerless, unequaled, unexampled, unique, unmatched, unparalleled, unrivaled.

4. Far beyond what is usual, normal, or customary:

exceptional, extraordinary, magnificent, outstanding, preeminent, rare, remarkable, towering, uncommon, unusual.

Informal: standout.

Slang: awesome, out of sight.

5. Deviating from the customary:

bizarre, cranky, curious, eccentric, erratic, freakish, idiosyncratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, quaint, queer, quirky, strange, unnatural, unusual, weird.

Slang: kooky, screwball.

British Slang: rum, rummy.

Translations

مُفْرَدصيغَة الأفْراد

jednotné číslo

ental

Singular singulär singularisch ungewöhnlich anders

ενικός

singular

ainsusmittepööratav

yksikköyksiköllinenyksittäinenainutlaatuinenerinomainen

singulier singulièresingulaire

jednina

egyesegyes számegyes számú

eintala

singolare straordinario

単一単数単数の単数形単称

단수

vienaskaita

vienskaitlis

enig enige enkelvoud enkelvoudsvorm ongewoon

entall entalls-singularis

liczba pojedyncza nieodwracalny

singular único simples

единственное число единственный

jednotné číslosingulár

ednina

singularsingularisunikutmärktenastående

เอกพจน์

tekil

dạng số ít

单数单数形式

singular

[ˈsɪŋgjʊləʳ]

A. ADJ

1. (Ling) → singular
a singular noun → un sustantivo en singular

2. (= extraordinary) → singular, excepcional
a most singular occurrence → un suceso de lo más singular or excepcional
how very singular! → ¡qué raro!

B. N → singular m
in the singular → en singular

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

singular

[ˈsɪŋgjʊlə^r]

adj

(GRAMMAR) [verb, ending] → au singulier; [form] → du singulier
the singular form of ... → le singulier de ...
What is the singular form of "media"? → Quel est le singulier de "media"?

(= remarkable) → singulier/ière
a smile of singular sweetness → un sourire d'une singulière douceur

(= odd) → singulier/ière

n (GRAMMAR) → singulier m
in the singular → au singulier
in the feminine singular → au féminin singulier

singular

adj

(Gram) → im Singular, singularisch (form); a singular noun → ein Substantiv nt → im Singular; singular ending → Singularendung f; singular form → Singular m

(= odd) → sonderbar, eigenartig; how very singular! → das ist aber sehr sonderbar or eigenartig!

(= outstanding) → einzigartig, einmalig

n → Singular m; in the singular → im Singular

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

singular

[ˈsɪŋgjʊləʳ]

1. adj

a. (Gram) → singolare

b. (frm) (extraordinary) → strano/a, singolare

2. n (Gram) → singolare m
in the singular → al singolare
in the feminine singular → al femminile singolare

singular

(ˈsiŋgjulə) noun

1. (also adjective) (in) the form of a word which expresses only one. `Foot' is the singular of `feet'; a singular noun/verb; The noun `foot' is singular.

2. the state of being singular. Is this noun in the singular or the plural?

singular

→ مُفْرَد jednotné číslo ental Singular ενικός singular yksikkö singulier jednina singolare 単数 단수 enkelvoudsvorm entall liczba pojedyncza singular единственное число singular เอกพจน์ tekil dạng số ít 单数

singular

a. singular, único.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

The only reason why they were ever thus arbitrarily distinguished may be attributed to the singular fact, that their existence was altogether unknown to the world until the year 1791, when they were discovered by Captain Ingraham, of Boston, Massachusetts, nearly two centuries after the discovery of the adjacent islands by the agent of the Spanish Viceroy.

View in context

Again, it is certain that the archdeacon had been seized with a singular passion for the symbolical door of Notre- Dame, that page of a conjuring book written in stone, by Bishop Guillaume de Paris, who has, no doubt, been damned for having affixed so infernal a frontispiece to the sacred poem chanted by the rest of the edifice.

View in context

To my mind the most interesting thing in art is the personality of the artist; and if that is singular, I am willing to excuse a thousand faults.

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First person singular, I do not care; second person singular, thou dost not care; third person singular, she does not care,' returned Tom.

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No great time was required for these singular facts to rouse the curiosity of the entire neighborhood.

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That same day all America heard of the affair of Captain Nicholl and President Barbicane, as well as its singular denouement .

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The uncharitable were apt to surmise that he had, in the interim, been well used up in a buffalo hunt; but those accustomed to Indian morality in the matter of horseflesh, considered it a singular evidence of honesty that he should be brought back at all.

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The officer stated the rules of the post, and refused to comply with the order of this singular visitor.

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Methinks thou hast a singular way of showing Thy happiness!

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Among my headings under this one twelve months I find an account of the adventure of the Paradol Chamber, of the Amateur Mendicant Society, who held a luxurious club in the lower vault of a furniture warehouse, of the facts connected with the loss of the British barque "Sophy Anderson", of the singular adventures of the Grice Patersons in the island of Uffa, and finally of the Camberwell poisoning case.

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The strata of the latter are frequently arched wit perfect symmetry, and the appearance of some of the masse is in consequence most singular. Pernety [8] has devote several pages to the description of a Hill of Ruins, th successive strata of which he has justly compared to th seats of an amphitheatre.

View in context

"This information, though easily hunted up, has nevertheless been obtained under rather singular circumstances.