singular

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈsɪŋ.ɡjə.lɚ/ UK /ˈsɪŋ.ɡjʊ.lə/ See IPA manual

Freq #16220

Meanings

1

adj
(grammar) referring to just one person or thing, not more than one

The word "child" is singular, while "children" is plural.
2

adj
unusual or remarkable in a striking way

She has a singular talent for making everyone feel welcome.
3

adj
strange or out of the ordinary

It was very singular that he left without saying a word.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · unusual or remarkable in a... exceptional extraordinary remarkable unique

3 adj · strange or out of the ordinary curious bizarre eccentric

Word family

Forms singulars

Derived forms cosingularequisingularhypersingularnonsingularsingularisesingularismsingularistsingularitysingularizationsingularize singularlysingularness

Related forms plural simple simplex singlesingulus

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

singular proposition
a proposition referring to a particular individual through a singular term

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English singuler, from Old French, from Latin singulāris (“alone of its kind”), from Latin singulus (“single”).

*sem- Proto-Indo-European singuler Middle English singulāris Latin singulus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# singular

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈsɪŋ.ɡjə.lɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈsɪŋ.ɡjʊ.lə/
**Frequency rank:** 16220

## Meanings
1. (grammar) referring to just one person or thing, not more than one
2. unusual or remarkable in a striking way
3. strange or out of the ordinary

## Examples
- The word "child" is singular, while "children" is plural.
- She has a singular talent for making everyone feel welcome.
- It was very singular that he left without saying a word.

## Derived Forms
- cosingular
- equisingular
- hypersingular
- nonsingular
- singularise
- singularism
- singularist
- singularity
- singularization
- singularize
- singularly
- singularness

## Related Forms
- plural
- simple
- simplex
- single
- singulus

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *sem-
- Root: singuler
- Root: singulāris
- Root: singulus

## Etymology
From Middle English singuler, from Old French, from Latin singulāris (“alone of its kind”), from Latin singulus (“single”).

## AI Etymology
Singular is from Middle English singuler, from Old French, from Latin singulāris (“alone of its kind”), from Latin singulus (“single”). Important forms in the word's history include Proto-Indo-European *sem-, Middle English singuler, Latin singulāris, Latin singulus. In current use it includes senses such as (grammar) referring to just one person or thing, not more than one and unusual or remarkable in a striking way.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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