singular

See also: Singular, singulár, and singulär

English

Alternative forms

  • (abbreviation): sg.

Etymology

From Middle English singuler, borrowed from Old French [Term?], from Latin singularis (alone of its kind), from Latin singulus (single).

Pronunciation

Adjective

singular (comparative more singular, superlative most singular)

  1. Being only one of a larger population.
    A singular experiment cannot be regarded as scientific proof of the existence of a phenomenon.
  2. Being the only one of the kind; unique.
    She has a singular personality.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Addison
      These busts of the emperors and empresses are all very scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Chaucer
      And God forbid that all a company / Should rue a singular man's folly.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)
  3. Distinguished by superiority; eminent; extraordinary; exceptional.
    a man of singular gravity or attainments
  4. Out of the ordinary; curious.
    It was very singular; I don't know why he did it.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Denham
      So singular a sadness / Must have a cause as strange as the effect.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Milton
      His zeal / None seconded, as out of season judged, / Or singular and rash.
  5. (grammar) Referring to only one thing or person.
  6. (linear algebra, of matrix) Having no inverse.
  7. (linear algebra, of transformation) Having the property that the matrix of coefficients of the new variables has a determinant equal to zero.
  8. (set theory, of a cardinal number) Not equal to its own cofinality.
  9. (law) Each; individual.
    to convey several parcels of land, all and singular
  10. (obsolete) Engaged in by only one on a side; single.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Holinshed
      to try the matter thus together in a singular combat

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Noun

singular (plural singulars)

  1. (grammar) A form of a word that refers to only one person or thing.
  2. (logic) That which is not general; a specific determinate instance.

Antonyms

  • (grammar: form of a word that refers to only one thing): plural

Translations

See also

Further reading

Anagrams


Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris. Doublet of senglar.

Pronunciation

  • (Balearic, Central) IPA(key): /siŋ.ɡuˈla/
  • (Valencian) IPA(key): /siŋ.ɡuˈlaɾ/

Adjective

singular (masculine and feminine plural singulars)

  1. singular

Antonyms

Derived terms

  • singularment
  • singularitat
  • singularitzar

Galician

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris.

Adjective

singular m or f (plural singulares)

  1. singular

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris. Doublet of senheiro.

Adjective

singular m or f (plural singulares, comparable)

  1. singular (being the only one of a kind)
  2. (grammar) singular (referring to only one thing)

Synonyms

Noun

singular m (plural singulares)

  1. (grammar) singular (form of a word that refers to only one thing)

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris.

Noun

sȉngulār m (Cyrillic spelling си̏нгула̄р)

  1. singular

Declension

Synonyms


Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris. Doublet of señero.

Adjective

singular (plural singulares)

  1. singular
  2. odd, peculiar

Antonyms

Derived terms

Noun

singular m (plural singulares)

  1. singular
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.