Meaning & use
single
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Only one; not more than one.
Grammar: Goes before a noun, often with every or each for emphasis: a single mistake.
Patterns
- a single thing
- every single thing
There was not a single cloud in the sky.
I could not find a single mistake in her essay.
Every single student passed the test.
adjectivecomparable
Not married or not in a romantic relationship.
Grammar: Goes after be or before a noun: she is single, a single parent.
Patterns
- be single
My brother is single and lives alone.
She enjoys being single and traveling a lot.
The club organizes events for single adults.
adjectivebefore a noun
Meant for or used by one person, or made of just one part.
Grammar: Describes things such as rooms, beds and tickets: a single room.
I booked a single room for two nights.
He bought a single ticket to the city.
The bed is a single, too small for two.
nouncountablemusic
A song or short recording released on its own, apart from an album.
Grammar: Often a debut or hit single.
Patterns
- a single by someone
Their new single reached number one.
She released her first single last summer.
The single is available to stream now.
verbphrasal verb
To pick one person or thing out from a group, usually in the form single out.
Grammar: Used with out and an object: single someone out.
Patterns
- single someone out for something
The teacher singled out Maria for praise.
Why did the manager single me out for blame?
The report singled out poor planning as the main problem.
Word forms
| plural | singles |
|---|---|
| third person singular | singles |
| past tense | singled |
| -ing form | singling |
Common combinations
- single parent
- She raised two children as a single parent.
- single room
- I would like to book a single room.
- every single day
- He practices the piano every single day.
- in single file
- The hikers walked in single file along the narrow path.
- single out
- The judges singled out her speech for special praise.
- single market
- The countries trade in a single market.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sole
- Sole means the only one that exists, while single can also mean only one among several possible.
- individual
- Individual stresses one person or thing as separate from a group, whereas single stresses the number one.
- unmarried
- Unmarried is formal and about legal status, while single may also mean having no partner.
- solitary
- Solitary means being alone or isolated, and is not used for marital status.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: single or singular?
single vs singular
Singular means one in grammar or remarkable. It cannot replace single in phrases such as a single room.
Practice
Which phrase uses single to mean not in a relationship?
Choose one answer.
In a single parent household the adjective means unpartnered. Ticket, day and bed use single to mean one.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “single”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.