singularity

noun

sin·​gu·​lar·​i·​ty ˌsiŋ-gyə-ˈler-ə-tē 

-ˈla-rə-

plural singularities

1

: something that is singular: such as

a

: a separate unit

b

: unusual or distinctive manner or behavior : peculiarity

2

: the quality or state of being singular

3

: a point at which the derivative of a given function of a complex variable does not exist but every neighborhood of which contains points for which the derivative does exist

4

: a point or region of infinite mass density at which space and time are infinitely distorted by gravitational forces and which is held to be the final state of matter falling into a black hole

Synonyms

• crotchet
• curiosity
• eccentricity
• erraticism
• idiosyncrasy
• individualism
• kink
• mannerism
• oddity
• peculiarity
• quiddity
• quip
• quirk
• tic
• trick
• twist

Examples of singularity in a Sentence

People could not understand the singularity of his imagination.

a college professor with singularities of dress and speech that have long endeared him to his students

Recent Examples on the Web

And now a lot of [my] focus is on playing around with this idea of singularity: gaming, music, live action, VFXs, obviously AI and gaming engines. —Erik Morse, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2023

For a black hole, the singularity sits in a precise position in space. —Popular Mechanics, 8 Sep. 2023

This collection, together with its accompanying lookbook, encompass that singularity, with help from his stalwart collaborators, of course. —José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2023

Because the number one describes singularity, says Kelly says, 1111 is thought of as a symbol of your own personhood and identity. —Naydeline Mejia, Women's Health, 7 Aug. 2023

At the center of this sphere lies a singularity where density approaches infinity and known physics goes off the rails. —Steve Nadis, Quanta Magazine, 16 Aug. 2023

White holes also have a singularity, but their event horizons act differently. —Paul M. Sutter, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2023

One of the most well-known of these limits is a black hole’s center, or singularity, where Einstein’s famous theory appears to break down completely. —Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2023

Space travel is uncertain, and the singularity is a mirage, so why not stay here, nestled into the cool damp ground. —Kelly Pendergrast, WIRED, 14 July 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

singularity

noun

sin·​gu·​lar·​i·​ty ˌsiŋ-gyə-ˈlar-ət-ē 

plural singularities

1

: the quality or state of being singular

2

: something that is singular : peculiarity

3

: a point or region of infinite density which is held to be the final state of matter falling into a black hole