singular

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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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.
3. Distinguished by superiority, coming across as such.
4. Being out of the ordinary, coming across as such.
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.

Synonyms

• (being only one): individual
• (being the only one of a kind): unique
• (distinguished by superiority): exceptional, extraordinary, remarkable
• (being out of the ordinary): curious, eccentric, funny, odd, peculiar, strange, rum, rummy, unusual
• (linear algebra: of matrix: having no inverse): non-invertible

Antonyms

• (grammar: referring to only one thing): plural
• (linear algebra: of matrix: having no inverse): invertible, non-singular

Derived terms

• singularity
• singularize

Translations

being only one of larger population

• Catalan: singular (ca)
• Finnish: yksittäinen (fi)
• Japanese: 唯一 (ja) (yuiitsu), 無二 (ja) (muni)
• Lojban: pamei (jbo)

• Portuguese: único (pt), simples (pt)
• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: ensam (sv), enstaka (sv)

being the only one of a kind

• Catalan: singular (ca)
• Dutch: enig (nl), enige (nl)
• Finnish: ainutlaatuinen (fi), uniikki (fi)
• German: einzigartig (de)
• Japanese: 単一 (ja) (tan'itsu)
• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)

• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: поједини (sh), једини (sh), особит (sh)

  Roman: pojedini (sh), jedini (sh), osobit (sh)

• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: ensam (sv), unik (sv)

distinguished by superiority

• Catalan: singular (ca), únic (ca)
• Dutch: uitzonderlijk (nl), opmerkelijk (nl), opmerkelijke (nl)
• Finnish: erinomainen (fi), tavaton (fi)
• German: einzigartig (de)

• Japanese: 非凡 (ja) (hibon), 希有 (ja) (keu)
• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)
• Spanish: único (es)
• Swedish: enastående (sv), utmärkt (sv)

being out of the ordinary

• Catalan: singular (ca)
• 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)
• Polish: osobliwy (pl) m

• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: необичан (sh)

  Roman: neobičan (sh)

• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: besynnerlig (sv), egendomlig (sv), säregen (sv)

grammar: referring to only one thing

• Albanian: njëjës (sq)
• Armenian: եզակի (hy) (ezaki) 
• Catalan: singular (ca)
• Chamorro: senggolåt (ch)
• Dutch: enkelvoudig (nl), enkelvoudige (nl)
• Esperanto: ununombra (eo)
• Finnish: yksiköllinen (fi)
• French: singulier (fr)
• Icelandic: eintala (is) f, et. (is) f
• Italian: singolare (it)

• Japanese: 単数の (ja) (tansū no)
• Jèrriais: sîndgulyi
• Navajo: tʼááłáʼígo
• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)
• Russian: единственный (ru) (jedínstvennyj) 
• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: singular (sv), ental (sv)s-
• Telugu: ఏకవచనము (te)
• Turkish: tekil (tr)
• Volapük: balnumik (vo)

linear algebra: of matrix: having no inverse

• Estonian: mittepööratav (et)
• Finnish: singulaarinen (fi)
• French: singulier (fr)

• German: singulär (de)
• Japanese: 単称 (ja) (tanshō)
• Polish: nieodwracalna (pl) f, osobliwa (pl) f

linear algebra: of transformation

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 Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• Indonesian: tunggal
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: поједини m, једини m

  Roman: pojedini m, jedini m

Noun

singular (plural singulars)

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

Antonyms

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

Translations

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

• Albanian: njëjës (sq), numri njëjës (sq) m
• Arabic: مفرد (ar) (múfrad) m, صيغة المفرد (ar) (ṣīġat al-múfrad) f
• Armenian: եզակի թիվ (hy) (ezaki t’iv) , եզակի (hy) (ezaki) 
• Catalan: singular (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 單數 (cmn), 单数 (cmn) (dānshù)

• Czech: jednotné číslo (cs) n
• Danish: ental (da)
• Dutch: enkelvoud (nl) n
• Estonian: ainsus (et)
• Finnish: yksikkö (fi)
• French: singulier (fr) m
• German: Einzahl (de) f, Singular (de) m
• Hungarian: egyes (hu)
• Icelandic: eintala (is) f
• Indonesian: bentuk tunggal

• Italian: singolare (it) m
• Japanese: 単数形 (ja) (tansū-kei)
• Latin: singularis (la)
• Polish: liczba pojedyncza (pl) f
• Portuguese: singular (pt)
• Russian: единственное число (ru) (jedínstvennoje čisló) n 
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: једнина (sh) f

  Roman: jednina (sh) f

• Slovak: jednotné číslo (sk) n, singulár (sk) m
• Spanish: singular (es) m
• Swedish: ental (sv) n, singularis (sv) n, singular (sv) n
• Turkish: tekil (tr)
• Volapük: balnum (vo)
• West Frisian: iental (fy)

External links

• singular in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• singular in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• singular at OneLook Dictionary Search

See also

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

Anagrams

• railguns, rail guns

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Catalan

Etymology

From Latin singulāris.

Adjective

singular m, f (masculine and feminine plural singulars)

1. singular

Antonyms

• plural

Derived terms

• singularment

Related terms

• singularitat
• singularitzar

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Galician

Etymology

From Latin singulāris.

Adjective

singular m and f (plural singulares)

1. singular

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Serbo-Croatian

Noun

sȉngulār m (Cyrillic spelling си̏нгула̄р)

1. singular

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

Synonyms

• jednìna

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin singulāris.

Adjective

singular m and f (plural singulares)

1. singular

Antonyms

• plural

Derived terms

• singularmente

Noun

singular m (plural singulares)

1. singular