singular

See also: Singular, singulár, and singulär

Contents

English

Alternative forms

• (abbreviation): sg.

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

• Audio (US)

  (file)

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.

   She has a singular personality.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Addison

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

   • (Can we date this quote?) 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.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Denham

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

   • (Can we date this quote?) 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.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Holinshed

      to try the matter thus together in a singular combat

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

• (being only one): general; see also Thesaurus:generic
• (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)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 單一 (zh) (dānyī)

• Finnish: yksittäinen (fi)
• German: einzeln (de)
• Japanese: 唯一 (ja) (yuiitsu), 無二 (ja) (muni)
• 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)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 獨一無二 (zh) (dúyīwú'èr)

• 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 (ca)
• Chinese:

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

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

• Japanese: 非凡 (ja) (hibon), 希有 (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)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 奇特 (zh) (qítè), 不 (zh)尋常 (zh) (bùxúncháng)

• 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
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 單數 (zh) (dānshù)

• Dutch: enkelvoudig (nl), enkelvoudige (nl)
• Esperanto: ununombra (eo)
• Finnish: yksiköllinen (fi)
• French: singulier (fr)
• Georgian: მხოლოობითი (ka) (mxoloobiti)
• German: singularisch
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἑνικός (henikós)

• Hungarian: egyes szám (hu)
• Icelandic: eintala (is) f, et. (is) f
• Irish: uatha (ga)

• Italian: singolare (it)
• Japanese: 単数の (tansū no)
• Ligurian: scingolâre
• Middle Persian: 'ywk'
• Navajo: tʼááłáʼígo, łah jidiltʼéhígo
• Norman: sîndgulyi
• Old English: ānfeald
• 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)
• Vietnamese: số ít (vi)
• Volapük: balnumik (vo)

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

linear algebra: of transformation

• Finnish: singulaarinen

• 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 (id)
• Serbo-Croatian:

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

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

Noun

singular (plural singulars)

1. (grammar) A form of a word that refers to only one person or thing.
2. (logic) That which is not general; a specific determinate instance.

Antonyms

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

Related terms

• singulare tantum

Translations

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 (hy) (ezaki tʿiv), եզակի (hy) (ezaki)
• Belarusian: адзіно́чны лік m (adzinóčny lik)
• Bulgarian: еди́нствено число́ n (edínstveno čisló)
• Burmese: ဧကဝုစ်ကိန်း (my) (eka.wuckin:)
• 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, Singularis m (dated)
• 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)
• Khmer: ឯកវចនៈ (ʾaek vaccaʾnaʾ)

• Korean: 단수 (ko) (dansu)
• Lao: ເອກກະພົດ (’ēk ka phot)
• 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)

See also

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

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• rail guns, railguns

---

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris. Doublet of senglar.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /siŋ.ɡuˈla/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /siŋ.ɡuˈlaɾ/

Adjective

singular (masculine and feminine plural singulars)

1. singular

Antonyms

• plural

Derived terms

• singularment

Related terms

• singularitat
• singularitzar

---

Galician

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris.

Adjective

singular m or f (plural singulares)

1. singular

---

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris. Doublet of senheiro.

Adjective

singular m or f (plural singulares, comparable)

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

Synonyms

• (one of a kind): único

Noun

singular m (plural singulares)

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

---

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris.

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

---

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris. Doublet of señero.

Adjective

singular (plural singulares)

1. singular
2. odd, peculiar

Antonyms

• (singular): plural

Derived terms

• singularmente

Noun

singular m (plural singulares)

1. singular