Reading Theme:
Bachelor: Definition, Usage, and Common Examples (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：unmarried man (bachelor)
bachelor
/ˈbætʃələr/
n.
A man who has never been married.
unmarried man
➕
/ʌnˈmærɪd mæn/
n.
Refers specifically to an adult man who has never entered into marriage.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Old French 'bacheler' (young knight, landholder), possibly from Latin 'baccalarius' (tenant farmer).
💡 Mnemonic
Think of a BACHELOR as a 'batch' of one - a single man living alone in his own batch of life.
📖 Example
My uncle is a happy bachelor who enjoys traveling alone and has his own cozy apartment.
My uncle is a content unmarried man who likes solo travel and lives in his own comfortable apartment.
🔗 Collocations
confirmed bachelor – a man who is determined to remain unmarried
eligible bachelor – a desirable unmarried man, often wealthy or accomplished
bachelor pad – a residence lived in and decorated by a single man
🔄 Synonyms
🚫 Antonyms
husband (n.) – a married man
married man (n.) – a man who has a spouse
beneficiary (n.) – in specific legal/matrimonial contexts, the spouse who inherits
🌱 Derivatives
bachelorette (n.) – a young unmarried woman
bachelorhood (n.) – the state or period of being a bachelor
bachelor's (n.) – short for bachelor's degree
📖 Cultural Story
In medieval times, a 'bachelor' was a young knight not yet old enough to display his own banner. This evolved to mean an unmarried man, possibly because such knights were typically young and single. The academic use arose as universities adopted the term for a junior scholar.
Meaning 2：first academic degree (bachelor)
bachelor
/ˈbætʃələr/
n.
The first university degree you get, usually after three or four years of study.
first academic degree
➕
/fɜːrst ˌækəˈdemɪk dɪˈɡriː/
n.
An undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
After four years of hard work, she finally received her Bachelor of Science degree in environmental studies.
Following four years of diligent study, she was ultimately awarded her first university degree, a Bachelor of Science in environmental studies.
🔗 Collocations
Bachelor of Arts – an undergraduate degree in humanities or social sciences (abbr. B.A.)
Bachelor of Science – an undergraduate degree in science or technical fields (abbr. B.S.)
bachelor's degree – the general term for the first university degree
🔄 Synonyms
undergraduate degree (n.) – a degree earned at a college or university below the level of a master's degree
baccalaureate (n.) – a formal term for a bachelor's degree
first degree (n.) – the primary academic degree obtained from a university
🚫 Antonyms
master's degree (n.) – an advanced degree earned after a bachelor's degree
doctorate (n.) – the highest level of academic degree
associate degree (n.) – a two-year college degree, typically below a bachelor's
🌱 Derivatives
bachelorette (n.) – a young unmarried woman
bachelorhood (n.) – the state or period of being a bachelor
bachelor's (n.) – short for bachelor's degree
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