Overview
"Single" is an English word used as both an adjective and a noun to indicate one, alone, or individual. It appears in everyday speech and in many specialized fields with meanings that depend on context. As an adjective it commonly contrasts with "married", "plural", or "shared"; as a noun it names a person, object, or unit that is one of its kind.
Common senses
- Personal status — A person described as single is not married or not in a long-term partnership.
- Alone or solitary — Single can mean standing by itself: a single room, a single item, or a lone occurrence.
- Music — A single is an individual song released separately from, or to promote, an album; historically sold on its own medium.
- Sports — In baseball a single is a hit that allows the batter to reach first base; in cricket a single is a score of one run.
Technical and specialised uses
In technical contexts the word serves as shorthand for particular concepts. For example, "single precision" refers to a floating-point format of limited bit width in computing. In hospitality, a "single" room is intended for one occupant. Sporting events often distinguish singles (one-on-one) from doubles (two-on-two).
History and etymology
The word derives from Old English and Old French forms ultimately traced to the Latin singulus, meaning "one, single, separate." Over centuries it has developed both literal senses (one unit) and figurative ones (alone, unmarried), and has been adopted into specialized vocabularies such as music and sport.
Usage, distinctions and notable points
Context determines nuance: "single" as a social label addresses marital or relationship status, while in commerce and media it indicates a discrete product. It differs from "singular," which often carries grammatical or exceptional connotations, and from "alone," which emphasizes solitude rather than numerical oneness. Understanding the intended sense requires attention to surrounding words and the domain in which it appears.