# singular
## 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: /ˈsɪŋ.ɡjə.lɚ/
* (Received Pronunciation) enPR: sĭng'-gyo͝o-lə, IPA: /ˈsɪŋ.ɡjʊ.lə/
* Audio (US):(file)

### Adjective

singular (comparative more singular, superlative most singular)
* 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.
* 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.
* Distinguished by superiority: peerless, unmatched, eminent, exceptional, extraordinary.
    Synonyms: exceptional, extraordinary, remarkable
    a man of singular gravity or attainments
* 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.
* (grammar) Referring to only one thing or person.
    Antonym: plural
* (linear algebra, of matrix) Having no inverse.
    Synonym: non-invertible
    Antonyms: invertible, non-singular
* (linear algebra, of transformation) Having the property that the matrix of coefficients of the new variables has a determinant equal to zero.
* (set theory, of a cardinal number) Not equal to its own cofinality.
* (law) Each; individual.
    to convey several parcels of land, all and singular
* (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

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

### Noun

singular (plural singulars)
* (grammar) A form of a word that refers to only one person or thing.
    Antonym: plural
* (logic) That which is not general; a specific determinate instance.

#### Derived terms

* singulare tantum

#### Related terms

* plural

#### Translations
### See also

* (grammatical numbers) grammatical number; singular, dual, trial, quadral, quintal, paucal, plural
* simple
* simplex
* single
* singulus

### Further reading

* “singular”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “singular”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
* “singular”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

### Anagrams

* rail guns, railguns

## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris. Doublet of senglar.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central) [siŋ.ɡuˈlar]
* IPA: (Balearic) [siŋ.ɡuˈla]
* IPA: (Valencia) [siŋ.ɡuˈlaɾ]
* Audio:(file)

### Adjective

singular m or f (masculine and feminine plural singulars)
* singular
    Antonym: plural

#### Derived terms

* singularment

#### Related terms

* singularitat
* singularitzar

### Noun

singular m (plural singulars)
* (grammar) singular

## Galician
### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin singulāris.

### Adjective

singular m or f (plural singulares)
* (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: /sĩ.ɡuˈlaʁ/ [sĩ.ɡuˈlah]
* (Brazil) IPA: /sĩ.ɡuˈlaʁ/ [sĩ.ɡuˈlah]
** (São Paulo) IPA: /sĩ.ɡuˈlaɾ/
** (Rio de Janeiro) IPA: /sĩ.ɡuˈlaʁ/ [sĩ.ɡuˈlaχ]
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /sĩ.ɡuˈlaɻ/
* (Portugal) IPA: /sĩ.ɡuˈlaɾ/
* (Portugal) IPA: /sĩ.ɡuˈlaɾ/
** (Southern Portugal) IPA: /sĩ.ɡuˈla.ɾi/
* Hyphenation: sin‧gu‧lar

### Adjective

singular m or f (plural singulares)
* singular (being the only one of a kind)
    Synonym: único
* (grammar) singular (referring to only one thing)
    Antonym: plural

#### Derived terms

* singularmente

#### Related terms

* singularidade

### Noun

singular m (plural singulares)
* (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: /sin.ɡuˈlar/

### Adjective

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

#### Declension
## Serbo-Croatian
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris.

### Noun

sȉngulār m (Cyrillic spelling си̏нгула̄р)
* singular
    Synonym: jednìna

#### Declension
## Spanish
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin singulāris. Doublet of señero.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /sinɡuˈlaɾ/ [sĩŋ.ɡuˈlaɾ]
* Audio (Colombia):(file)
* Rhymes: -aɾ
* Syllabification: sin‧gu‧lar

### Adjective

singular m or f (masculine and feminine plural singulares)
* singular
    Antonym: plural
* odd, peculiar
    Synonyms: raro, peculiar

#### Derived terms

* en singular
* singularmente

#### Related terms

* singularidad

### Noun

singular m (plural singulares)
* 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