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

The display is unique in attaching only at the top of the lid. — Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld, "The HP Spectre Folio is a leather-clad laptop that's luxurious," 1 Oct. 2018 Netflix is unique in that most people have Netflix. — Eric Johnson, Recode, "Why Roku isn’t afraid of competition from Apple, Google and Amazon," 13 Sep. 2018 The model went the extra mile to make her button-down look unique by wearing it off one shoulder. — Marina Liao, Marie Claire, "Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid Have Mastered the Off-the-Shoulder Look," 5 Sep. 2018 Ties to a Toxic Boss Craig Buffkin, managing partner at Buffkin/Baker, an executive recruiting agency that specializes in placing C-Suite level executives, said Papa John's is unique in maintaining such a long connection to the company's roots. — Grace Schneider, The Courier-Journal, "Analysts: Papa John's better off without a key ingredient — the founder," 12 July 2018 Ties to a toxic boss Craig Buffkin, managing partner at Buffkin/Baker, an executive recruiting agency, said Papa John's is unique in maintaining such a long connection to the company's roots. — Grace Schneider, USA TODAY, "Analysts: Papa John's better off without a key ingredient: Papa John himself," 12 July 2018 Some sheriffs and their allies have called in the past for changes to a system that critics said was unique in the United States and created a powerful incentive to cut corners and mistreat prisoners. — Alan Blinder, New York Times, "Alabama Moves to Limit Sheriffs From Pocketing Jail Food Money," 11 July 2018 As Allure exclusively reports, the brand's first-ever fragrance collection is comprised of four unique scents, each named after Atkin's favorite streets located in some of her favorite cities around the world. — Karina Hoshikawa, Allure, "Exclusive: Ouai Founder Jen Atkin Tells Allure All About the Brand's New Fragrance Line," 6 Nov. 2018 The projects are perfect for paint-and-sip parties and make unique gifts, as well as art fit for a farmhouse or any home. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Turn Beautiful Photos of the Country Into Works of Art With Paint-By-Number Kits," 30 Oct. 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.