singular
singular Lexical Profile
singular Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Of a word or grammatical form: denoting or referring to just one person or thing, as opposed to plural.
"In English grammar, a singular subject requires a matching singular verb."
Being the only one of its kind; single, sole, or undivided.
"She pursued her goal with a singular focus that left no room for distraction."
Exceptionally good, great, or remarkable; beyond what is ordinary.
"The violinist performed the concerto with singular grace and precision."
Strange, eccentric, or peculiar in manner or appearance.
"The detective noted the singular habits of the reclusive homeowner."
Of a square matrix in linear algebra: having a determinant equal to zero and therefore lacking an inverse.
"Because the rows are linearly dependent, the coefficient matrix is singular and cannot be inverted."
• noun
The grammatical number or form of a word that denotes a single person, thing, or instance.
"The noun 'datum' is the singular of 'data', though 'data' is often treated as a mass noun in everyday usage."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'single' simply denotes the numerical quantity of one, 'singular' is reserved either for grammar or for something uniquely remarkable, extraordinary, or peculiar.
• Rhymes for singular
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 14th century from Old French 'singuler' and directly from Latin 'singularis' ('alone, unique, extraordinary'), derived from 'singuli' ('one each, individual'), from the Proto-Indo-European root *sem- ('one, together').