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Meaning & use

singles

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈsɪŋɡlz/
US/ˈsɪŋɡlz/

“singles” is a form of “single”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. nounplural

    people who are not married or in a committed romantic relationship

    Grammar: Always plural; takes a plural verb: Singles are often overlooked by family policies.

    Patterns

    • singles are
    • for singles
    • among singles

    The club organizes events for singles looking to meet new people.

    Many singles prefer to travel alone.

    The survey compared the spending habits of singles and married couples.

  2. noununcountablesport

    a game, especially in tennis or badminton, played between two individual players rather than teams

    Grammar: Used without 'a' when referring to the type of game: He plays singles. But can be countable when referring to a specific match: They played a singles.

    Patterns

    • play singles
    • singles match
    • mixed singles

    She won the women's singles at Wimbledon.

    They played a close singles match that lasted three hours.

    In badminton, singles requires more running than doubles.

  3. nouncountablemusic

    a music release with one main song, often with extra tracks

    Grammar: Countable: a single, two singles. Usually used in the music industry.

    Patterns

    • release a single
    • debut single
    • hit single

    The band released three singles from their new album.

    Her debut single reached number one in the charts.

    I bought the new single on vinyl.

Common combinations

play singles
He prefers to play singles rather than doubles.
singles match
The singles match was the highlight of the tournament.
release a single
The singer will release a new single next month.
hit single
That hit single made them famous overnight.

Synonyms and how they differ

unattached
An adjective meaning not in a romantic relationship; 'singles' is the plural noun for such people.
bachelors
Usually refers to unmarried men; 'singles' is gender-neutral.

Opposites

marriedscouples

Word family

single adjective
Not married or in a romantic relationship.
singledom noun
The state of being single.

Commonly confused: singles or single?

singles vs single

As a noun, 'single' can mean one song or one game, but 'singles' usually refers to the category of games or people.

Practice

In tennis, ______ is played between two players.

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