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singular Definition

sin·gu·lar (siŋgyə lər)

adjective

  1. being the only one of its kind; single; unique a singular specimen
  2. exceptional; extraordinary; remarkable singular beauty
  3. peculiar; strange; odd what a singular remark!
  4. Archaic existing apart from others; separate; individual
  5. Gram. designating or of the category of number that refers to only one person or thing
  6. Logic of an individual or particular thing considered by itself

Etymology: ME singuler < OFr < L singularis < singulus, single

noun

  1. Gram.
    1. the singular number
    2. the singular form of a word
    3. a word in singular form
  2. Logic a thing considered apart from all others

singular Related Forms
sin·gu·larly adverb
singular Synonyms

singular

modif.

  1. Referring to one

    sole, one only, single; see unique 1.

  2. Odd or strange

    peculiar, uncommon, extraordinary; see rare 2, unusual 2.

singular Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • import: Words importing one gender include all other genders and words importing the singular include the plural and vise versa.
  • include: In the policy, words in the singular will include the plural meaning and words in the plural will include the singular.
  • use: Well, dear reader ( you'll notice I use the singular ), fret no longer!
  • have: Verbs, pronouns, and determiners sometimes have different singular and plural forms: He was late.

Adjective modifier

  • third: The main thing to remember about the present time in English is the third person singular.
  • second: Can it really mean to talk to God in the second person singular all day long?
  • first: There was not, nor could there ever be, any first person singular in the language of Palador.

Modifies a noun

  • decomposition: The singular value decomposition is a very useful tool in this chapter.
  • noun: Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
  • pronoun: Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
  • verb: The subject of a sentence must ' agree ' with its verb: e.g. a singular subject requires a singular verb.
  • coincidence: By a very singular coincidence, the newly arrived minister gave out " There's a light in the Valley for thee.
  • perturbation: Thin aerofoil theory for subsonic flows. [ 4 ] Singular perturbations ( algebraic example ).

Modifying Another Word

  • somewhat: These people have a somewhat singular taste in the matter of relics.
  • rather: Derbyshire caves are rather singular in that tho many of them possess deep drops, there are only three open potholes of any note.
  • very: By a very singular coincidence, the newly arrived minister gave out " There's a light in the Valley for thee.
  • quite: When the input configuration is almost but not quite singular, the computation will be prone to rounding errors.
  • so: Although my own records only refer to two sites they are not so singular.
  • always: Used alone, either and neither are always singular.

Noun used with modifier

  • person: Use 3rd person or plural instead 1st person singular in your summary.
singular Quotes

   Is it not singular how some men continue to obtain the reputation of popular authorship without adding a word to the literature of their country worthy of note?† To puff and to get one's self puffed have become different branches of a new profession.

—Trollope, Anthony

Browse dictionary entries near singular

  1. singspiel
  2. singsong
  3. singly
  4. singletree
  5. singleton
  6. singlet
  7. singlestick
  8. singles bar
  9. single-track
  10. single tax
  1. singularity
  2. singularize
  3. singularly
  4. Sinhala
  5. Sinhalese
  6. Sinicism
  7. Sining
  8. sinister
  9. sinistral
  10. sinistro-