singular

See also: Singular, singulár, and singulär

English

Alternative forms

• sing., sg., sg (abbreviation)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: sĭng'-gyə-lər, IPA^(key): /ˈsɪŋ.ɡjə.lɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: sĭng'-gyo͝o-lə, IPA^(key): /ˈsɪŋ.ɡjʊ.lə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

singular (comparative more singular, superlative most singular)

1. Being only one of a larger population; single, individual.

   Synonyms: individual; see also Thesaurus:specific

   Antonyms: general; see also Thesaurus:generic

   A singular experiment cannot be regarded as scientific proof of the existence of a phenomenon.

   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; Charles Cowden Clarke, editor, The Canterbury Tales of Chaucer. […], 2nd edition, volume III, Edinburgh: James Nichol; London: James Nisbet & Co.; Dublin: W. Robertson, 1860, →OCLC, page 158:

     And God forbid that all a company / Should rue a singular manne's folly.

     And may God forbid that a whole group should suffer for a single man's folly.

2. Being the only one of the kind; unique.

   Synonyms: unique; see also Thesaurus:unique

   She has a singular personality.

   • 1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     The busts […] of the emperors and empresses are all very scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind.

   • 1620, Francis Bacon, Novum Organum:

     singular instances

   • 1839, Charles Darwin, Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty’s Ships Adventure and Beagle, between the Years 1826 and 1836, […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 461–462:

     A group of finches, of which Mr. Gould considers there are thirteen species; and these he has distributed into for new sub-genera. These birds are the most singular of any in the archipelago.

3. Distinguished by superiority: peerless, unmatched, eminent, exceptional, extraordinary.

   Synonyms: exceptional, extraordinary, remarkable

   a man of singular gravity or attainments

4. Out of the ordinary; curious.

   Synonyms: curious, eccentric, funny, odd, peculiar, rum, rummy, strange, unusual; see also Thesaurus:strange

   It was very singular; I don't know why he did it.

   • 1641 (first performance), [John Denham], The Sophy. […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman, […], published 1667, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 11:

     So ſingular a ſadneſs / Muſt have a cauſe as ſtrange as the effect: […]

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     His zeal / None seconded, as out of season judged, / Or singular and rash.

5. (grammar) Referring to only one thing or person.

   Antonym: plural

6. (linear algebra, of matrix) Having no inverse.

   Synonym: non-invertible

   Antonyms: invertible, non-singular

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.
    • 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, →OCLC:

      Thus made he an end, and the two princes allowed well of his last motion, and so order was taken, that they should fight togither in a singular combat

Derived terms

• first-person singular
• nonsingular
• second-person singular
• singular existential statement
• singularise
• singularity
• singularize
• singular matrix
• singular statement
• singular value decomposition
• third-person singular

Translations

being only one of larger population

• Bulgarian: единствен (bg) (edinstven)
• Catalan: singular (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 單一 / 单一 (zh) (dānyī)

• Finnish: yksittäinen (fi)
• German: einzeln (de)
• Japanese: 唯一 (ja) (yuiitsu), 無二 (ja) (muni)
• Korean: 단일(單一)하다 (danilhada), 유일(唯一)하다 (ko) (yuilhada)
• Latin: singulāris
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: enkelt (no)

  Nynorsk: einskild, einstaka, enkelt

• Portuguese: único (pt), simples (pt)
• Romanian: unic (ro) m, singular (ro)
• Russian: еди́нственный (ru) (jedínstvennyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: singilte
• Slovak: jediný
• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: ensam (sv), enstaka (sv)
• Turkish: tek (tr), spesifik (tr), belirli (tr)

being the only one of a kind

• Bulgarian: единствен (bg) (edinstven)
• Catalan: singular (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 獨一無二 / 独一无二 (zh) (dúyīwú'èr)

• Coptic: ⲫⲏⲉⲧⲁⲩⲑⲁϣϥ m (phēetauthašf)
• Dutch: enig (nl), enige (nl)
• Finnish: ainutlaatuinen (fi), uniikki (fi)
• German: einzigartig (de)
• Japanese: 単一 (ja) (tan'itsu)
• Korean: 단일(單一)하다 (danilhada), 유일(唯一)하다 (ko) (yuilhada), 유일무이(唯一無二)하다 (yuilmu'ihada)
• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)
• Romanian: singular (ro) m
• Russian: едини́чный (ru) (jediníčnyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: singilte
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: појѐдӣнӣ, јѐдӣнӣ, о̀собит

  Roman: pojèdīnī (sh), jèdīnī (sh), òsobit (sh)

• Slovak: jedinečný
• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: ensam (sv), unik (sv)
• Turkish: eşsiz (tr), ünik (tr)
• Welsh: unigol (cy)

distinguished by superiority

• Bulgarian: изключителен (bg) (izključitelen)
• Catalan: singular (ca), únic (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 非凡 (zh) (fēifán), 獨特 / 独特 (zh) (dútè)

• Dutch: uitzonderlijk (nl), opmerkelijk (nl), opmerkelijke (nl)
• Finnish: erinomainen (fi), tavaton (fi)
• German: einzigartig (de)
• Japanese: 非凡 (ja) (hibon), 希有 (ja) (keu)
• Korean: 뛰어나다 (ko) (ttwieonada), 훌륭하다 (ko) (hullyunghada), 비범(非凡)하다 (ko) (bibeomhada)
• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)
• Romanian: unic (ro) m
• Slovak: jedinečný
• Spanish: único (es)
• Swedish: enastående (sv), utmärkt (sv)
• Turkish: üstün (tr)

being out of the ordinary

• Bulgarian: необикновен (bg) (neobiknoven)
• Catalan: singular (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 奇特 (zh) (qítè), 不尋常 / 不寻常 (bùxúncháng)

• Dutch: ongewoon (nl)
• Finnish: harvinainen (fi), merkillinen (fi), omituinen (fi), kummallinen (fi)
• German: ungewöhnlich (de)
• Japanese: (superior) 非凡 (ja) (hibon), 希有 (ja) (keu), (odd) 奇妙 (ja) (kimyō), 風変わり (ja) (fūgawari)
• Korean: 특이(特異)하다 (ko) (teugihada), 희한(稀罕)하다 (ko) (huihanhada), (odd) 기묘(奇妙)하다 (ko) (gimyohada); 기이(奇異)하다 (ko) (giihada)
• Polish: osobliwy (pl)
• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)
• Romanian: neobișnuit (ro)
• Russian: своеобра́зный (ru) (svojeobráznyj), необыкнове́нный (ru) (neobyknovénnyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: не̏обичан

  Roman: nȅobičan (sh)

• Slovak: jedinečný
• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: besynnerlig (sv), egendomlig (sv), säregen (sv)
• Turkish: farklı (tr)
• Ukrainian: своєрі́дний (svojerídnyj)
• Welsh: nodedig (cy), hynod

grammar: referring to only one thing

• Albanian: njëjës (sq)
• Amharic: please add this translation if you can
• Arabic: مُفْرَد (ar) m (mufrad)
• Armenian: եզակի (hy) (ezaki)
• Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: please add this translation if you can
• Bengali: please add this translation if you can
• Breton: please add this translation if you can
• Bulgarian: please add this translation if you can
• Burmese: please add this translation if you can
• Catalan: singular (ca)
• Chamorro: senggolåt
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 單數 / 单数 (zh) (dānshù)

• Coptic: ⲫⲏⲉⲧⲁⲩⲑⲁϣϥ m (phēetauthašf)
• Czech: please add this translation if you can
• Dhivehi: please add this translation if you can
• Dutch: enkelvoudig (nl), enkelvoudige (nl)
• Esperanto: ununombra (eo)
• Estonian: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: yksiköllinen (fi)
• French: singulier (fr)
• Georgian: მხოლოობითი (ka) (mxoloobiti)
• German: singularisch
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἑνικός (henikós)

• Gujarati: please add this translation if you can
• Hausa: please add this translation if you can
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can
• Hungarian: egyes szám (hu)
• Icelandic: eintala (is) f, et. (is) f
• Irish: uatha (ga)
• Italian: singolare (it)
• Japanese: 単数の (tansū no)
• Kannada: please add this translation if you can
• Khmer: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: 단수(單數)의 (dansu-ui)
• Lao: please add this translation if you can
• Latin: singulāris
• Latvian: please add this translation if you can
• Ligurian: scingolâre
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Macedonian: еднина f (ednina), едн. f (edn.)
• Malay: please add this translation if you can
• Malayalam: please add this translation if you can
• Middle Persian: 'ywk'
• Mongolian: please add this translation if you can
• Navajo: tʼááłáʼígo, łah jidiltʼéhígo
• Norman: sîndgulyi
• Occitan: singular (oc)
• Odia: please add this translation if you can
• Old English: ānfeald
• Oromo: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: pojedynczy (pl)
• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)
• Romanian: singular (ro)
• Russian: еди́нственный (ru) (jedínstvennyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: please add this translation if you can
• Sinhalese: please add this translation if you can
• Slovak: jednotný, singulárový
• Slovene: please add this translation if you can
• Somali: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: singular (sv), ^{(please verify)} entals-
• Tagalog: isahan (tl)
• Tamil: please add this translation if you can
• Telugu: ఏకవచనము (te) (ēkavacanamu)
• Tetum: please add this translation if you can
• Thai: เอกพจน์ (th) (èek-gà-pót)
• Tibetan: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: tekil (tr)
• Urdu: please add this translation if you can
• Uyghur: please add this translation if you can
• Uzbek: please add this translation if you can
• Vietnamese: số ít (vi)
• Volapük: balnumik (vo)
• Welsh: unigol (cy)
• Wolof: please add this translation if you can

linear algebra: of matrix: having no inverse

• Danish: singulær
• Dutch: singulier (nl)
• Estonian: mittepööratav
• Finnish: singulaarinen
• French: singulier (fr)
• German: singulär (de)
• Japanese: 単称 (tanshō)
• Polish: nieodwracalna f, osobliwa f
• Romanian: singular (ro)
• Slovak: singulárny (sk)
• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: singulär (sv)
• Tajik: ягона (tg) (yagona)
• Thai: เอกฐาน

linear algebra: of transformation

• Finnish: singulaarinen
• Spanish: singular (es)
• Thai: เอกฐาน

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} tunggal (id)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ^{(please verify)} појѐдӣнӣ m, ^{(please verify)} јѐдӣнӣ m

  Roman: ^{(please verify)} pojèdīnī (sh) m, ^{(please verify)} jèdīnī (sh) m

Noun

singular (plural singulars)

2. (grammar) A form of a word that refers to only one person or thing.

   Antonym: plural

3. (logic) That which is not general; a specific determinate instance.

Derived terms

• singulare tantum

Related terms

• plural

Translations

grammar: form of a word that refers to only one thing

• Albanian: njëjës (sq), numri njëjës m
• Arabic: مُفْرَد (ar) m (mufrad), صِيغَة اَلْمُفْرَد f (ṣīḡat al-mufrad)
• Armenian: եզակի թիվ (hy) (ezaki tʻiv), եզակի (hy) (ezaki)
• Belarusian: адзіно́чны лік m (adzinóčny lik)
• Breton: unander (br) m
• Bulgarian: еди́нствено число́ n (edínstveno čisló)
• Burmese: ဧကဝုစ်ကိန်း (my) (eka.wuckin:)
• Catalan: singular (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 單數 / 单数 (zh) (dānshù)

• Czech: jednotné číslo (cs) n
• Danish: ental (da), singularis (da)
• Dutch: enkelvoud (nl) n
• Estonian: ainsus (et)
• Faroese: eintal (fo) n
• Finnish: yksikkö (fi)
• French: singulier (fr) m
• Georgian: მხოლოობითი რიცხვი (mxoloobiti ricxvi)
• German: Einzahl (de) f, Singular (de) m, Singularis m (dated)
• Greenlandic: ataasersiut
• Hindi: एकवचन (hi) m (ekavcan)
• Hungarian: egyes (hu)
• Icelandic: eintala (is) f
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} bentuk tunggal
• Ingrian: yksikkö
• Italian: singolare (it) m
• Japanese: 単数形 (ja) (tansū-kei), 単数 (ja) (たんすう, tansū)
• Khmer: ឯកវចនៈ (ʼaek vaccaʼnaʼ)
• Korean: 단수형(單數形) (dansuhyeong), 단수(單數) (ko) (dansu)
• Lao: ເອກກະພົດ (ʼēk ka phot)
• Latin: numerus singulāris, singulāris
• Latvian: vienskaitlis (lv) m
• Macedonian: е́днина f (édnina)
• Maltese: farrad waħdieni m
• Mongolian: ганц тоо (mn) (ganc too)
• Occitan: singular (oc) m
• Old French: singuler m
• Persian: مفرد (fa) (mofrad)
• Polish: liczba pojedyncza (pl) f
• Portuguese: singular (pt)
• Quechua: sapa
• Russian: еди́нственное число́ (ru) n (jedínstvennoje čisló)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: једнѝна f, си̏нгула̄р m

  Roman: jednìna (sh) f, sȉngulār (sh) m

• Slovak: jednotné číslo n, singulár (sk) m
• Slovene: ednina (sl) f
• Spanish: singular (es) m
• Swedish: ental (sv) n, singularis (sv) n, singular (sv) n
• Tajik: мунфарид (tg) (munfarid), ягона (tg) (yagona)
• Telugu: ఏకవచనము (te) (ēkavacanamu)
• Thai: เอกพจน์ (th) (èek-gà-pót)
• Turkish: tekil (tr), müfret (tr)
• Ukrainian: однина́ (uk) f (odnyná)
• Vietnamese: số ít (vi)
• Volapük: balnum (vo)
• Votic: ühsikko
• West Frisian: iental (fy)
• Yiddish: איינצאָל f (eyntsol)

See also

• (grammatical numbers) grammatical number; singular, dual, trial, quadral, quintal, paucal, plural ^{(Category: en:Grammar)}

• simple
• simplex
• single
• singulus

Further reading

• “singular”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “singular”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “singular”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• rail guns, railguns

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris. Doublet of senglar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central) [siŋ.ɡuˈlar]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic) [siŋ.ɡuˈla]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [siŋ.ɡuˈlaɾ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

singular m or f (masculine and feminine plural singulars)

1. singular

   Antonym: plural

Derived terms

• singularment

Related terms

• singularitat
• singularitzar

Noun

singular m (plural singulars)

1. (grammar) singular

Galician

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin singulāris.

Adjective

singular m or f (plural singulares)

1. (grammar) singular

Related terms

• singularidade

Further reading

• “singular”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin singulāris. Doublet of senheiro.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /sĩ.ɡuˈlaʁ/ [sĩ.ɡuˈlah]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /sĩ.ɡuˈlaʁ/ [sĩ.ɡuˈlah]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /sĩ.ɡuˈlaɾ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /sĩ.ɡuˈlaʁ/ [sĩ.ɡuˈlaχ]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /sĩ.ɡuˈlaɻ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /sĩ.ɡuˈlaɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /sĩ.ɡuˈlaɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /sĩ.ɡuˈla.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: sin‧gu‧lar

Adjective

singular m or f (plural singulares)

1. singular (being the only one of a kind)

   Synonym: único

2. (grammar) singular (referring to only one thing)

   Antonym: plural

Derived terms

• singularmente

Related terms

• singularidade

Noun

singular m (plural singulares)

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

   Antonym: plural

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singularis or French singulier.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sin.ɡuˈlar/

Adjective

singular m or n (feminine singular singulară, masculine plural singulari, feminine and neuter plural singulare)

1. (grammar) singular

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	singular		singulară		singulari	singulare
	definite	singularul		singulara		singularii	singularele
genitive- dative	indefinite	singular		singulare		singulari	singulare
	definite	singularului		singularei		singularilor	singularelor

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris.

Noun

sȉngulār m (Cyrillic spelling си̏нгула̄р)

1. singular

   Synonym: jednìna

Declension

Declension of singular

	singular	plural
nominative	singular	singulari
genitive	singulara	singulara
dative	singularu	singularima
accusative	singular	singulare
vocative	singulare	singulari
locative	singularu	singularima
instrumental	singularom	singularma

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris. Doublet of señero.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sinɡuˈlaɾ/ [sĩŋ.ɡuˈlaɾ]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: sin‧gu‧lar

Adjective

singular m or f (masculine and feminine plural singulares)

1. singular

   Antonym: plural

2. odd, peculiar

   Synonyms: raro, peculiar

Derived terms

• en singular
• singularmente

Related terms

• singularidad

Noun

singular m (plural singulares)

1. singular

   Antonym: plural

Further reading

• “singular”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10