bachelor

1 of 2

noun

bach·​e·​lor ˈbach-lər How to pronounce bachelor (audio)
ˈba-chə-
1
: a young knight who follows the banner of another
2
: a person who has received a degree from a college, university, or professional school usually after four years of study
bachelor of arts
also : the degree itself
received a bachelor of laws
3
a
: an unmarried man
He chooses to remain a bachelor.
b
: a male animal (such as a fur seal) without a mate during breeding time
bachelordom
ˈbach-lər-dəm How to pronounce bachelor (audio)
ˈba-chə-
noun
bachelorhood noun

bachelor

2 of 2

adjective

1
: suitable for or occupied by a single person
a bachelor apartment
2
: unmarried
bachelor women
bachelor parents

Examples of bachelor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Guarantee scholarships for enough time to complete a bachelor’s degree, provided that the student remains in good academic standing. 4. Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 14 Mar. 2024 On the other hand, nearly two-thirds of those moving to California from another state in 2022 — and more than half of those emigrating from others countries — had a bachelor’s degree or higher. Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Mark, on the other hand, doesn’t have any hugging options, being a bachelor who at one point takes a break from the play to attend the funeral of his last living relative in Amsterdam. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 After graduating from the State University of New York at Albany with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1969, Dr. Bordwell received his master’s and Ph.D. in speech and dramatic arts, with a concentration in film, from the University of Iowa. Michael S. Rosenwald, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 That means the lack of college degrees can’t be ignored, since Blacks and Hispanics are least likely to have a bachelor’s degree. Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 In 2011, after graduating from Bowdoin College with a bachelor’s degree in English, Mariscal spotted an online listing for a public-relations internship at Momofuku. Jasmine Li, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 Rigorous Certification Process: This involves completing a bachelor’s degree, 150 hours of education, passing the CPA exam, and fulfilling state-specific experience requirements. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 After attending international school in Mumbai, Akash moved to the U.S. to study at Brown University, graduating in 2014 with a bachelor’s in economics. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Beyond tapping her extensive professional experience, Roman will draw on her bachelor degrees in geography and biology from Valparaiso University and master’s degree in geospatial science from Missouri State University (MSU). Jim Masters, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2022 The gap between those with a post-bachelor’s education and those with a high school diploma or less was similar, at 6% and 22%, respectively. Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Sep. 2022 Looks like someone's ready to enter the post-bachelor period of his life. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 13 June 2022 So, to give himself a chance at medical school, Tatum enrolled in a post-bachelor’s pre-medicine program at Rutgers University-Newark. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Mar. 2022 The bachelor elephant group at Noah's Ark plays a key supporting role serving wider African Elephant conservation efforts as an important part of the European Endangered Species Programme. Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE.com, 24 June 2021 Pumpkin, who lost her elderly partner, convinced Harris to forego his bachelor ways in the name of love. Mallory Hughes, CNN, 7 Dec. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bachelor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bacheler "knight lacking retainers, squire, young man (especially an unmarried one), person holding the lowest university degree," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Medieval Latin *baccalāris, variant of baccalārius, bachelārius "serf without land living in the lord's household, vassal lacking a fief, knight without retainers, young clerk, student," of obscure origin

Adjective

attributive use of bachelor entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bachelor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bachelor

Cite this Entry

“Bachelor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bachelor. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bachelor

noun
bach·​e·​lor
ˈbach-(ə-)lər
1
: a person who has received the lowest degree given by a college, university, or professional school
bachelor of arts
also : the degree itself
2
a
: an unmarried man
b
: an unmated male animal
bachelorhood
-ˌhu̇d
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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