unique

adjective

\ yu̇-ˈnēk

Definition of unique

1 : being the only one : sole his unique concern was his own comfort I can't walk away with a unique copy. Suppose I lost it?— Kingsley Amis the unique factorization of a number into prime factors

2a : being without a like or equal : unequaled could stare at the flames, each one new, violent, unique— Robert Coover

b : distinctively characteristic : peculiar sense 1 this is not a condition unique to California— Ronald Reagan

c : able to be distinguished from all others of its class or type : distinct sense 1 You will see an assortment of digital tags that let the Web site identify your computer as a unique visitor.— Peter H. Lewis

3 : unusual a very unique ball-point pen we were fairly unique, the sixty of us, in that there wasn't one good mixer in the bunch— J. D. Salinger

Other Words from unique Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Can something be very unique or somewhat unique?: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about unique

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Choose the Right Synonym for unique

strange, singular, unique, peculiar, eccentric, erratic, odd, quaint, outlandish mean departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected. strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable. a journey filled with strange sights singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness. a singular feeling of impending disaster unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel. a career unique in the annals of science peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness. the peculiar status of America's first lady eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior. the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating. a friend's suddenly erratic behavior odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected. an odd sense of humor quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness. a quaint fishing village outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric. outlandish fashions of the time

Can something be very unique or somewhat unique?: Usage Guide

Many commentators have objected to the comparison or modification (as by somewhat or very) of unique, often asserting that a thing is either unique or it is not. Objections are based chiefly on the assumption that unique has but a single absolute sense, an assumption contradicted by information readily available in a dictionary. Unique dates back to the 17th century but was little used until the end of the 18th when, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was reacquired from French. H. J. Todd entered it as a foreign word in his edition (1818) of Johnson's Dictionary, characterizing it as "affected and useless." Around the middle of the 19th century it ceased to be considered foreign and came into considerable popular use. With popular use came a broadening of application beyond the original two meanings (here numbered senses 1 and 2a). In modern use both comparison and modification are widespread and standard but are confined to the extended senses 2b and 3. When sense 1 or sense 2a is intended, unique is used without qualifying modifiers.

Examples of unique in a Sentence

There are no clear blueprints to be discovered in history that can help us shape the future as we wish. Each historical event is a unique congeries of factors, people, or chronology. — Margaret McMillan, Dangerous Games, 2008 [Tiger] Wood's unique skill set was on display again at last week's U.S. Open, but this victory was more visceral. It was all heart. — Alan Shipnuck, Sports Illustrated, 23 June 2008 Space is a strange and unique item—you can't take it to a lab and analyze it like beef jerky. — Bob Berman, Astronomy, November 2007 A century ago a doctor was considered to be part of a social elite. He—and medicine was then very much a masculine endeavor—had a unique mastery of a special body of knowledge. He professed a commitment to levels of competence and integrity that he expected society to respect and trust. — Richard Horton, New York Review of Books, 31 May 2007 Most stars are not born in isolation but instead in groups of several thousand to tens of thousands, all of which emerge from the same parent cloud of gas. Each cloud has a unique and homogeneous mix of chemical elements and isotopes, which its stellar progeny inherits. Even when the stars disperse, they retain their unique chemical tag … — Rodrigo Ibata et al., Scientific American, April 2007 As a dozen new books will testify, our nation is in the midst of a great barbecue renaissance, with each region proudly claiming its own unique style. — Ruth Reichl, Gourmet, July 2005 She's in the unique position of running for office against her husband. Humans are unique among mammals in several respects.

Recent Examples on the Web

Benli can point out unique features the average tourist would miss—like the tortured faces of devils swirled into the green marble at Hagia Sophia. — Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, "Three Days In Istanbul," 28 Dec. 2018 Each race in each state has been subject to unique circumstances — in Georgia, Kemp was in charge of administering the election while also running in it. — Kay Steiger, Vox, "The Arizona, Florida, and Georgia election recounts, explained," 9 Nov. 2018 Women in particular are looking at a set of unique circumstances. — Devin Tomb, Good Housekeeping, "“At 54, I Don’t Feel As Hopeful”: The Untold Story of Suicide in the U.S.," 21 Sep. 2018 Trying to find myself in the midst of portraying those extreme opposites was definitely a unique challenge. — Charlie Jane Anders, Teen Vogue, "7 Trans Performers Share the Challenges They Still Face and Their Hopes for the Future," 17 Dec. 2018 Vanderbilt faces a unique challenge in the SEC landscape fighting for attention and support in Nashville, which has become a professional market with the addition of the NHL’s Predators and the NFL’s Tennessee Titans in the late 1990s. — Teresa M. Walker, The Seattle Times, "Vanderbilt hires G League President Malcolm Turner as new AD," 11 Dec. 2018 That’s what makes this four-bedroom, four-and-a-half listing in California so unique. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Historic ski chalet on last large parcel in Squaw Valley asks $15M," 11 Dec. 2018 The issue poses a unique challenge to big-box retailers and e-commerce sites, some which get thousands of shopper reviews a week. — Deanna Pai, Glamour, "The Shady World of Online Beauty Reviews," 23 Nov. 2018 Being sick while traveling is never fun, of course, but hand, foot, and mouth presents some unique challenges because the illness is so contagious. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Carey Hart Shares a Photo of His Son With Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease," 29 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unique.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.