single-use

adjective

sin·​gle-use ˈsiŋ-gəl-ˈyüs How to pronounce single-use (audio)
variants or less commonly single use
: intended or designed to be used once and then discarded
single-use plastics
single-use paper products
Surgical masks are single-use face coverings that are designed to act as a barrier to sneezes or other potential exchanges of germs.Anandi Barker

Examples of single-use in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Eco effort The hotel is marching along a path to zero-landfill waste, helped in part by reductions in single-use plastics and paper materials, plus a swift recycling program. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 When defenders rely on recognition and attackers design artifacts to be single-use, the advantage shifts. Ken Ammon, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 Senate Bill 54 requires, by 2032, a 25% reduction in single-use plastic packaging and food service ware; that 100% of such packaging sold in the state be recyclable or compostable; and that 65% of single-use plastic packaging actually be recycled. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 1 June 2026 Companies that produce single-use packaging and plastic single-use food service ware have until Monday to comply with some of the terms of the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (SB 54). Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 May 2026 Wegovy injections are done with a single-use auto injector, while Zepbound is available as a single-use auto injector, in a single-use vial that is administered via syringe, or in a new device called a KwikPen that can deliver several doses before it is discarded. Jody Dushay, STAT, 29 May 2026 The single-use rooms are extra large to accommodate accessibility or mobility needs, but are available to all as needed. Julio Ojeda-Zapata, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026 Use thoughtful upgrades like crystal decanters, warm lighting, and single-use cloths. Marisa Suzanne Martin, The Spruce, 28 May 2026 Paslier says that as of this year the company has successfully replaced 40 million single-use plastic products. Justin Worland, Time, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of single-use was in 1897

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Cite this Entry

“Single-use.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single-use. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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