Noun | 1. | singular - the form of a word that is used to denote a singleton Synonyms: singular form Antonyms: plural, plural form - the form of a word that is used to denote more than one |
Adj. | 1. | singular - unusual or striking; "a remarkable sight"; "such poise is singular in one so young" Synonyms: remarkable |
2. | singular - beyond or deviating from the usual or expected; "a curious hybrid accent"; "her speech has a funny twang"; "they have some funny ideas about war"; "had an odd name"; "the peculiar aromatic odor of cloves"; "something definitely queer about this town"; "what a rum fellow"; "singular behavior" | |
3. | singular - being a single and separate person or thing; "can the singular person be understood apart from his culture?"; "every fact in the world might be singular...unlike any other fact and sole of its kind"-William James | |
4. | singular - grammatical number category referring to a single item or unit Antonyms: plural - grammatical number category referring to two or more items or units | |
5. | singular - the single one of its kind; "a singular example"; "the unique existing example of Donne's handwriting"; "a unique copy of an ancient manuscript"; "certain types of problems have unique solutions" Synonyms: unique |
SINGULAR, construction. In grammar the singular is used to express only one,
not plural. Johnson.
2. In law, the singular frequently includes the plural. A bequest to
"my nearest relation," for example, will be considered as a bequest to all
the relations in the same degree, who are nearest to the testator. 1 Ves.
sen. 337; 1 Bro. C. C. 293. A bequest made to "my heir," by a person who had
three heirs, will be construed in the plural. 4 Russ. C. C. 384.
3. The same rule obtains in the civil law: In usu juris frequenter uti
nos singulari appellationie, am plura significari vellemus. Dig. 50, l6,
158.