Divorced vs. Single: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Divorced" refers to someone legally dissolved from marriage, while "Single" means not being married, engaged, or in a romantic relationship.
Key Differences
Divorced is a status used to describe someone who has legally ended their marriage. This term specifically refers to the dissolution of a legally recognized marital relationship. Single, on the other hand, is a broader term that describes a person who is not currently married or in a committed romantic relationship, including those who have never been married, are divorced, or widowed.
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The term divorced carries with it the implication of a previous marriage that has been legally dissolved. This status often involves legal processes and can be associated with various life changes, including adjustments in living arrangements, finances, and family dynamics. Single status, however, does not imply any past marriage and is simply a state of being unmarried or not in a relationship.
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In social contexts, being divorced can come with different societal perceptions and personal experiences compared to being single. Divorced individuals may face different challenges and considerations, such as co-parenting or dealing with the emotional aftermath of a divorce. Singles might deal with societal pressures regarding their marital status, particularly if they have never been married.
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From a legal perspective, divorced individuals may have specific legal obligations or rights, such as alimony or child custody arrangements. Singles, especially those who have never married, typically don't face these specific legal considerations, though they may have other legal concerns related to their single status.
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Lastly, in terms of personal identity, someone who is divorced might identify with this status as a significant part of their life history. For singles, especially those who have never married, their identity may not be as strongly influenced by their marital status.
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Comparison Chart
Marital History
Indicates a previous marriage.
May include never married, divorced, or widowed.
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Legal Implications
Often involves legal dissolution of marriage.
No legal process for being single.
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Social Perceptions
May be associated with past marital experience.
Broad, without specific past marital context.
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Obligations
Can include alimony, child support.
Typically no such obligations.
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Identity Aspect
Can be a significant personal identity factor.
Less likely to define personal identity.
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Divorced and Single Definitions
Divorced
Having undergone the process of legal separation
They were divorced after a long process.
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Single
Not married or in a romantic relationship
He's been single since last year.
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Divorced
Status after ending a marriage
Her divorced status didn't define her.
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Single
Unmarried status, regardless of prior relationships
She enjoys her life as a single woman.
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Divorced
No longer married due to legal termination
After his divorce, he moved to a new city.
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Single
Not involved in a stable romantic partnership
He attends social events as a single man.
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Divorced
Not married due to dissolution of a marriage
Being divorced, he learned a lot about himself.
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Single
Alone or solitary in a particular context
She went on a single ticket to the concert.
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Divorced
Legally dissolved from a marriage
She has been divorced for three years.
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Single
Consisting of one part, aspect, or section
A single thickness.
A single serving.
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Single
Having the same application for all; uniform
A single moral code for all.
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Divorced
A separation between things that were once connected or associated.
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Single
Consisting of one in number
She had but a single thought, which was to escape.
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Single
Separate from others; individual and distinct
Every single child will receive a gift.
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Divorced
To cut off; separate or disunite
An idea that was completely divorced from reality.
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Single
Having individual opponents; involving two individuals only
Single combat.
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Divorced
(of a marriage) Legally dissolved.
It is a sad fact that 43% of marriages are now divorced.
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Divorced
(of persons formerly married) Having had one's marriage legally dissolved.
Mark's parents are divorced.
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Single
Not married or involved in a romantic relationship
Once he knew she was single, he asked her to go out.
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Single
Relating to a state of being unmarried or uninvolved in a romantic relationship
Enjoys the single life.
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Single
Something capable of carrying, moving, or holding one person or thing at a time, as a bed or a hotel room.
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Single
A phonograph record, especially a forty-five, having one song on each side.
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Single
A song, often from a full-length album or compact disc, that is released for airplay.
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Single
(Baseball) A hit enabling the batter to reach first base. Also called one-bagger, one-base hit.
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Single
Singles A competition in which individuals compete against each other, as in rowing or figure skating.
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Single
To cause (a base runner) to score or advance by hitting a single
Singled him to second.
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Single
Not accompanied by anything else; one in number.
Can you give me a single reason not to leave right now?
The vase contained a single long-stemmed rose.
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Single
Not divided in parts.
The potatoes left the spoon and landed in a single big lump on the plate.
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Single
Not married, and (in modern times) not dating or without a significant other.
Forms often ask if a person is single, married, divorced, or widowed. In this context, a person who is dating someone but who has never married puts "single".
Josh put down that he was a single male on the dating website.
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Single
(music) A 45 RPM vinyl record with one song on side A and one on side B.
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Single
(music) A popular song released and sold (on any format) nominally on its own though usually having at least one extra track.
The Offspring released four singles from their most recent album.
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Single
One who is not married or does not have a romantic partner.
He went to the party, hoping to meet some friendly singles there.
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Single
(baseball) A hit in baseball where the batter advances to first base.
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Single
(dominoes) A tile that has a different value (i.e. number of pips) at each end.
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Single
A bill valued at $1.
I don't have any singles, so you'll have to make change.
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Single
(Canadian football) A score of one point, awarded when a kicked ball is dead within the non-kicking team's end zone or has exited that end zone.
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Single
One of the reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness.
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Single
A floating-point number having half the precision of a double-precision value.
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Single
To identify or select one member of a group from the others; generally used with out, either to single out or to single (something) out.
Eddie singled out his favorite marble from the bag.
Yvonne always wondered why Ernest had singled her out of the group of giggling girls she hung around with.
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Single
(baseball) To get a hit that advances the batter exactly one base.
Pedro singled in the bottom of the eighth inning, which, if converted to a run, would put the team back into contention.
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Single
One only, as distinguished from more than one; consisting of one alone; individual; separate; as, a single star.
No single man is born with a right of controlling the opinions of all the rest.
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Single
Alone; having no companion.
Who single hast maintained,Against revolted multitudes, the causeOf truth.
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Single
Hence, unmarried; as, a single man or woman.
Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.
Single chose to live, and shunned to wed.
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Single
Not doubled, twisted together, or combined with others; as, a single thread; a single strand of a rope.
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Single
Performed by one person, or one on each side; as, a single combat.
These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant, . . . Who now defles thee thrice ti single fight.
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Single
Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.
Simple ideas are opposed to complex, and single to compound.
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Single
Not deceitful or artful; honest; sincere.
I speak it with a single heart.
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Single
Simple; not wise; weak; silly.
He utters such single matter in so infantly a voice.
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Single
To select, as an individual person or thing, from among a number; to choose out from others; to separate.
Dogs who hereby can single out their master in the dark.
His blood! she faintly screamed her mindStill singling one from all mankind.
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Single
To sequester; to withdraw; to retire.
An agent singling itself from consorts.
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Single
To take alone, or one by one.
Men . . . commendable when they are singled.
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Single
To take the irrregular gait called single-foot; - said of a horse. See Single-foot.
Many very fleet horses, when overdriven, adopt a disagreeable gait, which seems to be a cross between a pace and a trot, in which the two legs of one side are raised almost but not quite, simultaneously. Such horses are said to single, or to be single-footed.
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Single
The reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness.
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Single
The smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number;
He has the one but will need a two and three to go with it
They had lunch at one
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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
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Single
Used of flowers having usually only one row or whorl of petals;
Single chrysanthemums resemble daisies and may have more than one row of petals
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Single
Not married or related to the unmarried state;
Unmarried men and women
Unmarried life
Sex and the single girl
Single parenthood
Are you married or single?
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Single
Characteristic of or meant for a single person or thing;
An individual serving
Separate rooms
Single occupancy
A single bed
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Single
Not divided among or brought to bear on more than one object or objective;
Judging a contest with a single eye
A single devotion to duty
Undivided affection
Gained their exclusive attention
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Single
Individual and distinct;
Pegged down each separate branch to the earth
A gift for every single child
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Does single imply never married?
Single can mean never married, but it also includes divorced or widowed individuals.
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Nov 10, 2023
Are there legal documents for divorce?
Yes, divorce involves legal documents and processes.
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What does single mean?
Single means not being married or in a romantic relationship.
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Are legal documents needed to be single?
No, being single doesn't require legal documents.
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Do divorced people have marital obligations?
Divorced individuals may have obligations like alimony or child support.
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Do single people have such obligations?
Single people generally don't have obligations related to a past marriage.
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Can a divorced person be single?
Yes, after divorce, a person is considered single.
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Is staying single a personal choice?
Staying single can be a personal choice or due to various life circumstances.
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Is divorced a permanent status?
Divorced is a status until one remarries or changes their marital state.
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Does being single affect lifestyle?
Being single can affect lifestyle choices and living arrangements.
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Are there support groups for divorced people?
Yes, there are support groups specifically for individuals who are divorced.
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Do divorced individuals face societal judgments?
Divorced individuals may face societal judgments or stereotypes.
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Do singles face societal pressure?
Singles often face societal pressure, especially regarding marriage.
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Can singles have children?
Yes, singles can have children, whether from a previous relationship or other means.
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Is divorce a personal choice?
Divorce is often a personal choice, though it can be influenced by various factors.
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Can divorced status affect one's lifestyle?
Yes, being divorced can significantly affect one's lifestyle and daily life.
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Are there support groups for singles?
There are support groups and communities for singles, addressing various aspects of single life.
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Is being single a permanent state?
Being single is not necessarily permanent and can change with marriage or entering a relationship.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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