Single vs. Singular: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Single" is an adjective that means one or individual. "Singular" is also an adjective that means unique or exceptional.
Key Differences
Single implies something alone or separate, often used to describe an individual item or status. Singular conveys the idea of being unique or exceptional, something that stands out due to its distinctiveness.
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Nov 20, 2023
When something is single, it is often understood as one in number, not multiple or divided. Singular, on the other hand, emphasizes an unparalleled or noteworthy quality.
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Nov 20, 2023
Single is commonly used in contexts ranging from marital status to describing an individual unit in a set. Singular, however, is often used to highlight the extraordinary or rare nature of something.
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Nov 20, 2023
The usage of single often points to isolation or the state of not being combined. Singular implies a remarkable or unusual aspect that makes something or someone distinct.
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Nov 20, 2023
In grammatical terms, single can refer to a singular form, but without the connotation of being extraordinary. Singular, in grammar, means relating to a unique subject, but with an emphasis on its distinctiveness.
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Nov 20, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Common Usage
Describes quantity or marital status.
Highlights uniqueness or exceptionality.
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Context
Often used in everyday, practical contexts.
Used to emphasize distinctiveness or rarity.
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Connotation
Neutral, simply stating a quantity or status.
Often positive, emphasizing uniqueness or importance.
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Example
"She bought a single ticket."
"His talent was of a singular nature."
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Single and Singular Definitions
Single
Designed for one person or thing.
She purchased a single bed for her room.
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Singular
Exceptionally good or great; remarkable.
Her performance was of singular beauty.
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Singular
Being the only one of its kind; unique.
The artist's style was singular and unmistakable.
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Nov 20, 2023
Single
Consisting of one part, aspect, or section
A single thickness.
A single serving.
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Oct 19, 2023
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Singular
Unusual or strange in a noteworthy way.
The scientist made a singular discovery.
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Single
Having the same application for all; uniform
A single moral code for all.
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Singular
Of or relating to a separate person or thing.
His focus on the task was singular.
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Single
Consisting of one in number
She had but a single thought, which was to escape.
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Singular
Being the only one of a kind; unique
"Our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared" (Barack Obama).
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Single
Separate from others; individual and distinct
Every single child will receive a gift.
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Singular
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).
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Single
Having individual opponents; involving two individuals only
Single combat.
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Singular
Strange or unusual
"I accordingly obeyed forthwith what I still considered a very singular summons" (Edgar Allan Poe).
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Singular
Of, relating to, or being a noun, pronoun, or adjective denoting a single person or thing or several entities considered as a single unit.
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Singular
Of, relating to, or being a verb expressing the action or state of a single subject.
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Singular
(Logic) Of or relating to the specific as distinguished from the general; individual.
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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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Singular
Being only one of a larger population.
A singular experiment cannot be regarded as scientific proof of the existence of a phenomenon.
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Singular
Being the only one of the kind; unique.
She has a singular personality.
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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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Singular
Distinguished by superiority: peerless, unmatched, eminent, exceptional, extraordinary.
A man of singular gravity or attainments
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Singular
Out of the ordinary; curious.
It was very singular; I don't know why he did it.
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Single
A phonograph record, especially a forty-five, having one song on each side.
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Singular
Having the property that the matrix of coefficients of the new variables has a determinant equal to zero.
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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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Singular
(law) Each; individual.
To convey several parcels of land, all and singular
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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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Singular
(grammar) A form of a word that refers to only one person or thing.
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Singular
(logic) That which is not general; a specific determinate instance.
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Singular
Separate or apart from others; single; distinct.
And God forbid that all a companyShould rue a singular man's folly.
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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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Singular
Engaged in by only one on a side; single.
To try the matter thus together in a singular combat.
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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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Singular
Existing by itself; single; individual.
The idea which represents one . . . determinate thing, is called a singular idea, whether simple, complex, or compound.
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Singular
Each; individual; as, to convey several parcels of land, all and singular.
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Singular
Denoting one person or thing; as, the singular number; - opposed to dual and plural.
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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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Singular
Standing by itself; out of the ordinary course; unusual; uncommon; strange; as, a singular phenomenon.
So singular a sadnessMust have a cause as strange as the effect.
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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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Singular
Distinguished as existing in a very high degree; rarely equaled; eminent; extraordinary; exceptional; as, a man of singular gravity or attainments.
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Singular
Departing from general usage or expectations; odd; whimsical; - often implying disapproval or censure.
His zealNone seconded, as out of season judged,Or singular and rash.
To be singular in anything that is wise and worthy, is not a disparagement, but a praise.
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Oct 19, 2023
Singular
Being alone; belonging to, or being, that of which there is but one; unique.
These busts of the emperors and empresses are all very scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind.
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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
Singular
The singular number, or the number denoting one person or thing; a word in the singular number.
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Singular
Unusual or striking;
A remarkable sight
Such poise is singular in one so young
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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
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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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Oct 19, 2023
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
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Oct 19, 2023
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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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
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Singular
Grammatically referring to one person or thing.
In the sentence, the noun is in singular form.
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Nov 20, 2023
Single
(baseball) A hit in baseball where the batter advances to first base.
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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
Single
Not doubled, twisted together, or combined with others; as, a single thread; a single strand of a rope.
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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
Single
Not deceitful or artful; honest; sincere.
I speak it with a single heart.
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Oct 19, 2023
Single
Simple; not wise; weak; silly.
He utters such single matter in so infantly a voice.
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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
Single
To sequester; to withdraw; to retire.
An agent singling itself from consorts.
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Oct 19, 2023
Single
To take alone, or one by one.
Men . . . commendable when they are singled.
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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
Single
The reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness.
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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
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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Oct 19, 2023
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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Single
Not married or involved in a romantic relationship.
He marked 'single' on his profile.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What does single primarily indicate?
It indicates one in number or being alone.
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Nov 20, 2023
Is singular always positive?
Often, but it can also simply mean unique or one of a kind.
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Nov 20, 2023
Can something be singular in a common context?
Yes, if it stands out as unique in that context.
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Nov 20, 2023
Does singular imply rarity?
Yes, it often connotes something rare or exceptional.
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Does single have a musical context?
Yes, referring to individual songs released by artists.
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Are single items always isolated?
Not necessarily, they can be part of a set but counted individually.
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Nov 20, 2023
Does singular have a specific grammatical use?
Yes, it refers to a singular noun or verb form.
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Nov 20, 2023
Can single refer to a person's relationship status?
Yes, it often refers to someone not in a romantic relationship.
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Nov 20, 2023
Is single used in legal documents?
Yes, particularly regarding marital status or individual entities.
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Nov 20, 2023
Can singular refer to focus or attention?
Yes, as in singular concentration on a task.
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Nov 20, 2023
Is singular synonymous with strange?
Not exactly, but it can imply an unusual or noteworthy quality.
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Nov 20, 2023
Can an item be both single and singular?
Yes, if it's one of a kind and the only one in existence.
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Nov 20, 2023
Can singular describe a personality?
Yes, if the personality is unique or extraordinary.
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Nov 20, 2023
Is a single object always small or minor?
No, it can be significant but is just one in number.
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Nov 20, 2023
Do single and singular have the same origin?
They share similar linguistic roots but have diverged in meaning.
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Nov 20, 2023
Is singular often used in artistic contexts?
Yes, to describe unique styles or talents.
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Nov 20, 2023
Can singular be used in science?
Yes, to describe unique phenomena or discoveries.
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Nov 20, 2023
Can a single decision be singular?
Yes, if it's a unique and significant decision.
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Nov 20, 2023
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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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