single 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsiŋ-gəl How to pronounce single (audio)
Definition of singlenext
1
as in unmarried
not married there was such a shortage of single men in the neighborhood that he had his pick of girlfriends

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sole
belonging only to the one person, unit, or group named any view expressed on the newspaper's editorial pages is the single opinion of the writer of the column

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in separate
not physically attached to another unit the average price of single homes in the area

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in lone
not being in the company of others a restaurant where the single diner is made to feel welcome and given the same level of service as couples or groups

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

single

2 of 2

noun

1
as in individual

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
2
as in unit

Related Words

Dissimilar Words
3
as in maiden

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of single
Adjective
Developed for highly mobile operations on the modern battlefield, the FV-014 combines reconnaissance, target identification and precision strike capabilities within a single system. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026 Investors in the single-family housing market are increasingly concerned about interest rates, rising insurance and home costs, and the ongoing war with Iran. — Diana Olick, CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
The Twins trailed 3-1 in the eighth when Josh Bell hit a one-out RBI single against Aaron Bummer (1-2). — CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026 It was decided in the 13th inning on a Caleb Durbin walk-off RBI single, which gave the Red Sox a 12-11 victory Thursday in front of a sellout crowd of 37,082 at Fenway Park. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for single
Recent Examples of Synonyms for single
  1. unmarried
  2. sole
  3. separate
  4. lone
  5. individual
  6. unit
  7. maiden
  8. exclusive
Adjective
  • Married respondents went from roughly +30 to +50; unmarried respondents went from near breakeven to about -15.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The comedic yet heartfelt film tells the story of Colman’s Fisherwoman, who is made fun of in her village for being an unmarried woman.
    — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of unmarried
Adjective
  • Her husband, the family’s sole provider, was rarely home, forced to chase construction jobs around Nepal and India that brought the family around 12,000 Nepalese rupees ($80) per month.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and names Arellano in his individual capacity as the sole defendant.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of sole
Adjective
  • Nvidia is also discussing a separate arrangement involving as much as $350 billion in AI chips for the facility.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Its separate entrance, elevators, and staff have always set it apart from the surrounding casino ecosystem, offering a smoke-free, gaming-free environment with all the brand’s usual service signatures.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of separate
Adjective
  • The Chiefs didn’t check that box this time, playing their lone road preseason game against Tampa Bay.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Virtually the lone holdout is Microsoft, which gives users the option to store passkeys in the Windows TPM.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of lone
Noun
  • Ries argues that leadership transitions succeed not because remarkable individuals take over, but because organizations have embedded their purpose deeply enough to survive leadership change.
    — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Any individual or institution with an Internet connection faces the danger that its proprietary data will be sucked into AI training sets.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of individual
Noun
  • Fire officials later said that the suspect entered a two-story unit at the building and set multiple fires before reaching the roof.
    — Richard Ramos, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Once, when his unit came under heavy fire, a soldier running for cover caught a glimpse of Salinger hunched under a table, clacking away like a frenzied newsman on deadline.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of unit
Noun
  • Skinner’s side reached the quarter-finals in their 2025-26 maiden Champions League campaign but failed to qualify for Europe this term after the depth of their squad was exposed amid a busy season.
    — Megan Feringa, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • At the Lortel, her one-woman show plays out on a candlestick-heavy gothic set by Derek McLane that resembles a Barbie Dreamhouse modded for a Meat Loaf video, and Cohen enters in an haute-Ren-faire pink maiden’s dress by Kelsey Randall.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 28 July 2026
Definition of maiden
Adjective
  • Terry drives him home on an exclusive secret road between Beverly Hills and the Valley (the only other people who Terry knows have the gate code are Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty) but pulls over to a scenic viewpoint on the way.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The exclusive restaurant, which only serves hotel guests and club members, also offers alfresco dining in a courtyard shaded by expansive oak trees.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of exclusive

Phrases Containing single

Browse Nearby Words

singing (out)
single
single combat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Single.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/single. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on single

Nglish: Translation of single for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All