Definition of UNIQUE

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

Phoenix assured the website that Phillips’ movie will be something unique. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Joaquin Phoenix terrified of starring in Joker origin film," 13 July 2018 This year’s list is of Best New Restaurants represents a wide diversity of fare, price points, locations and styles — each contributing something unique to metro Detroit’s blooming culinary scene. — Detroit Free Press, "Top 10 Takeover: Maty's African Restaurant tickets on sale now," 13 July 2018 Sociologists speculated that there was something unique about the empty materialism and stifling conformity of Japanese society that drove youngsters to look for an alternative. — The Economist, "On the hanging of Shoko Asahara, Japan’s nerve-gas guru," 12 July 2018 Little blue herons are unique in that the juveniles are white while the adult birds are slate blue with a brown head and neck. — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, "You’ll have no regrets in search for egrets – and herons, too," 11 July 2018 All vendors are asked that their product is designed, grown or produced entirely themselves, must be made in Idaho, and brings something unique to the market. — Alex Kiesig, idahostatesman, "'I love this city': Eat your way through the Capital City Public Market," 6 July 2018 The fourth step in thinking of zero — that is thinking of zero as a symbol — may be unique to humans. — Brian Resnick, Vox, "The mind-bendy weirdness of the number zero, explained," 5 July 2018 African fashion, in truth, has something incredibly unique to offer: in tandem with global seasonal trends, designers really put a focus on their own heritage and their own traditions. — Georgia Murray, refinery29.com, "Where To Find The Coolest African Designers Online," 28 June 2018 And while all the rooms on property have something unique to offer, there's one in particular that stands out as the best. — Lindsay Silberman, Town & Country, "The Best Room At...The Ocean Club, a Four Seasons Resort," 28 June 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.