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

Examples of single-use in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In line with companywide sustainability initiatives, Wegmans does not offer single-use plastic bags. — Charlotte Observer, 24 Sep. 2026

Reusable totes are intended as durable alternatives to single-use plastic bags. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

Porch doors have sensors on them which halt the air conditioning inside any time the room isn’t sealed, and a beautiful collection of glassware and picnic items left in your room guarantee nary a single-use plastic. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026

Remarkably, the setup is far from single-use, as the team ran up to 25 consecutive calculations in the same droplet without any performance loss. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for single-use

• avenues
• barbecues
• cockatoos
• interviews
• kangaroos
• obliquus
• overshoes
• overuse
• overviews
• residues
• revenues
• tyrannus