singular

See also: Singular, singulár, and singulär

Contents

EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

• (abbreviation): sg.

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪŋɡjəlɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪŋɡjʊlə/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

AdjectiveEdit

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.

   • Addison

     These busts of the emperors and empresses are all very scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind.

   • 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.

   • Denham

     So singular a sadness / Must have a cause as strange as the effect.

   • 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.
    • Holinshed

      to try the matter thus together in a singular combat

SynonymsEdit

• (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

AntonymsEdit

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

Derived termsEdit

• singularity
• singularize

TranslationsEdit

being only one of larger population

• Catalan: singular (ca)
• Finnish: yksittäinen (fi)
• German: einzeln (de)
• Japanese: 唯一 (ja) (yuiitsu), 無二 (ja) (muni)
• Lojban: pamei
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: enkelt (no)

  Nynorsk: einskild, einstaka, enkelt

• Portuguese: único (pt), simples (pt)
• Romanian: unic (ro) m, singular (ro)
• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: ensam (sv), enstaka (sv)
• Turkish: tek (tr), tek bir, yegane (tr)

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 (tan'itsu)
• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)
• Romanian: singular (ro) m

• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: поједини, једини, особит

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

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

distinguished by superiority

• Catalan: singular (ca), únic
• Dutch: uitzonderlijk (nl), opmerkelijk (nl), opmerkelijke (nl)
• Finnish: erinomainen (fi), tavaton (fi)
• German: einzigartig (de)
• Japanese: 非凡 (ja) (hibon), 希有 (keu)

• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)
• Romanian: unic (ro) m
• Spanish: único (es)
• Swedish: enastående (sv), utmärkt (sv)
• Turkish: üstün (tr)

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 (keu), (odd) 奇妙 (ja) (kimyō), 風変わり (ja) (fūgawari)
• Polish: osobliwy (pl)
• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)

• Romanian: neobișnuit (ro)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: необичан

  Roman: neobičan (sh)

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

grammar: referring to only one thing

• Albanian: njëjës (sq)
• Arabic: مُفْرَد‏‎ m (mufrad)
• Armenian: եզակի (hy) (ezaki)
• Catalan: singular (ca)
• Chamorro: senggolåt
• Dutch: enkelvoudig (nl), enkelvoudige (nl)
• Esperanto: ununombra (eo)
• Finnish: yksiköllinen (fi)
• French: singulier (fr)
• Georgian: მხოლოობითი (ka) (mxoloobiti)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἑνικός (henikós)

• Hungarian: egyes szám (hu)
• Icelandic: eintala (is) f, et. (is) f
• Italian: singolare (it)

• Japanese: 単数の (tansū no)
• Navajo: tʼááłáʼígo, łah jidiltʼéhígo
• Norman: sîndgulyi
• Old English: anfald, anfeald
• Portuguese: singular (pt), único (pt)
• Romanian: singular (ro)
• Russian: еди́нственный (ru) (jedínstvennyj)
• Spanish: singular (es)
• Swedish: singular (sv), ^{(please verify)} entals-
• Tagalog: isahan (tl)
• Telugu: ఏకవచనము (te) (ēkavacanamu)
• Thai: เอกพจน์ (th) (èek-gà-pót)
• Turkish: tekil (tr)
• Volapük: balnumik (vo)

linear algebra: of matrix: having no inverse

• 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)
• Swedish: singulär (sv)
• Tajik: ягона (tg) (yagona)
• Thai: เอกฐาน

linear algebra: of transformation

• Thai: เอกฐาน

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.

Translations to be checked

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

  Cyrillic: ^{(please verify)} поједини m, ^{(please verify)} једини m

  Roman: ^{(please verify)} pojedini m, ^{(please verify)} jedini m

NounEdit

singular (plural singulars)

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

AntonymsEdit

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

Related termsEdit

• singulare tantum

TranslationsEdit

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

• Albanian: njëjës (sq), numri njëjës m
• Arabic: مُفْرَد‏‎ m (mufrad), صِيغَة اَلْمُفْرَد‏‎ f (ṣīḡat al-mufrad)
• Armenian: եզակի թիվ (ezaki tʿiv), եզակի (hy) (ezaki)
• Belarusian: адзіно́чны лік m (adzinóčny lik)
• Bulgarian: еди́нствено число́ n (edínstveno čisló)
• Catalan: singular (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 單數 (zh), 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
• Greenlandic: ataasersiut
• Hindi: एकवचन (hi) m (ekavcan)
• Hungarian: egyes (hu)
• Icelandic: eintala (is) f
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} bentuk tunggal
• Ingrian: üksikko
• Italian: singolare (it) m
• Japanese: 単数形 (ja) (tansū-kei), 単数 (ja) (たんすう, tansū)
• Korean: 단수 (ko) (dansu)

• Latin: numerus singularis, singularis
• Latvian: vienskaitlis m
• Macedonian: е́днина f (édnina)
• Mongolian: ганц тоо (mn) (gants too)
• 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: једнина f

  Roman: jednina (sh) f

• 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)
• Thai: เอกพจน์ (th) (èek-gà-pót)
• Turkish: tekil (tr)
• Ukrainian: однина́ (uk) f (odnyná)
• Vietnamese: số ít (vi)
• Volapük: balnum (vo)
• Votic: ühsikko
• West Frisian: iental (fy)
• Yiddish: איינצאָל‏‎ f (eyntsol)

Further readingEdit

• 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 alsoEdit

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

AnagramsEdit

• rail guns, railguns

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CatalanEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Latin singulāris.

AdjectiveEdit

singular (masculine and feminine plural singulars)

1. singular

AntonymsEdit

• plural

Derived termsEdit

• singularment

Related termsEdit

• singularitat
• singularitzar

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GalicianEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Latin singulāris.

AdjectiveEdit

singular m, f (plural singulares)

1. singular

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PortugueseEdit

AdjectiveEdit

singular m, f (plural singulares, comparable)

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

SynonymsEdit

• (one of a kind): único

NounEdit

singular m (plural singulares)

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

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Serbo-CroatianEdit

NounEdit

sȉngulār m (Cyrillic spelling си̏нгула̄р)

1. singular

DeclensionEdit

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

SynonymsEdit

• jednìna

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SpanishEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Latin singulāris.

AdjectiveEdit

singular (plural singulares)

1. singular
2. odd, peculiar

AntonymsEdit

• (singular): plural

Derived termsEdit

• singularmente

NounEdit

singular m (plural singulares)

1. singular