single-use
adjective
sin·gle-use
ˈsiŋ-gəl-ˈyüs 
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
Anandi BarkerExamples of single-use in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Also, and importantly, the resort just launched an on-site water bottling and filtration system, meaning they can get rid of single-use plastic bottles; this is huge for any property, but especially for one located on an island in the middle of the Pacific.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
Some of us virtuously recycle items that will be transported across the world to smother island nations in single-use plastic bags and water bottles, milk jugs, yogurt tubs, pet food and potato chip bags, Styrofoam meat trays, Coke bottles, Amazon mailing envelopes, and fast-food wrappers.
—Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
The dining experience is also different in France, with table service and reusable cups and containers, in accordance with a law that banned single-use cups, cutlery and containers at all eat-in restaurants in 2023.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
John Bueno, a transgender student at the University of Idaho and a member of the student group Queer Inclusion Society, said the school has lots of single-use restrooms, which helps mitigate the logistical impacts of the bill.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The rise of reusables may be contributing to the declining sales of single-use period products over the past few years.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
Reduce your reliance on single-use plastic products.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
In January, CalRecycle, the state’s waste agency, issued a report showing that most single-use plastic materials in the state’s waste stream were being recycled at levels below 10%.
—Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
As a result, most of this plastic barrier packaging is discarded to landfills as single-use materials.
—J. Carson Meredith, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
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Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Apr. 2026
Some of us virtuously recycle items that will be transported across the world to smother island nations in single-use plastic bags and water bottles, milk jugs, yogurt tubs, pet food and potato chip bags, Styrofoam meat trays, Coke bottles, Amazon mailing envelopes, and fast-food wrappers.
—Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
The dining experience is also different in France, with table service and reusable cups and containers, in accordance with a law that banned single-use cups, cutlery and containers at all eat-in restaurants in 2023.
—Vivian Song, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
John Bueno, a transgender student at the University of Idaho and a member of the student group Queer Inclusion Society, said the school has lots of single-use restrooms, which helps mitigate the logistical impacts of the bill.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
The rise of reusables may be contributing to the declining sales of single-use period products over the past few years.
—Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2026
Reduce your reliance on single-use plastic products.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2026
In January, CalRecycle, the state’s waste agency, issued a report showing that most single-use plastic materials in the state’s waste stream were being recycled at levels below 10%.
—Susanne Rust
follow, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
As a result, most of this plastic barrier packaging is discarded to landfills as single-use materials.
—J. Carson Meredith, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Single-use.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single-use. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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