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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Single: Meanings, Examples, and Common Usage (3 meaning)

Meaning 1：only one (single)

single 🔊

/ˈsɪŋɡəl/

adj., n., v.

Only one; not more than one.

Single apple alone on wooden table in morning light

only one 🔊

➕

/ˈoʊnli wʌn/

adj., n., v.

Referring to something that is just one in number, not multiple or paired.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'singulus' (one alone), via Old French 'sengle', meaning 'individual, separate'.

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a 'single' ring on your finger: one ring, one key, one choice.

📖 Example

I only have a single key to my apartment, so I need to be very careful not to lose it. 🔊 I only have a single key to my apartment, so I need to be very careful not to lose it.

🔗 Collocations

a single person – one person only

single purpose – only one aim or function

single piece – one individual item

🔄 Synonyms

sole (adj.) – Being the only one; exclusive.

only (adj.) – Without any other of the same type; sole.

unique (adj.) – Being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.

🚫 Antonyms

multiple (adj.) – Many; involving more than one.

double (adj.) – Twice as much or as many; consisting of two.

paired (adj.) – Consisting of two matching items or parts.

🌱 Derivatives

singly (adv.) – Alone; one by one.

singleness (n.) – The quality of being single or alone.

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'single' evolved from Latin 'singulus', used since the 14th century to describe something undivided or alone. In modern culture, it is commonly used in contexts like 'single ticket' or 'single person', emphasizing individuality and lack of partnership.

Meaning 2：not married (single)

single 🔊

/ˈsɪŋɡəl/

adj., n., v.

Not married or in a serious romantic relationship.

not married 🔊

➕

/nɑt ˈmɛrid/

adj., n., v.

Describing a person who is not legally married and not in a committed romantic relationship.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

My aunt is happily single and enjoys traveling the world with her friends. 🔊 My aunt is happily single and enjoys traveling the world with her friends.

🔗 Collocations

stay single – remain unmarried

single parent – a parent raising a child alone

single life – the lifestyle of being unmarried

🔄 Synonyms

unmarried (adj.) – Not married; without a spouse.

celibate (adj.) – Abstaining from marriage and sexual relations.

bachelor (n.) – An unmarried man (used especially in formal contexts).

🚫 Antonyms

married (adj.) – Having a spouse; united in matrimony.

attached (adj.) – In a romantic relationship.

🌱 Derivatives

singlehood (n.) – The state of being single.

Meaning 3：one-way ticket (single)

single 🔊

/ˈsɪŋɡəl/

adj., n., v.

A ticket for a journey to a place, but not back again.

one-way ticket 🔊

➕

/wʌn-weɪ ˈtɪkɪt/

adj., n., v.

A ticket that entitles the holder to travel to a destination but does not include a return journey.

📁 Category：Transportation & Travel 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

I bought a single ticket to London because I'm not sure when I'll be coming back. 🔊 I bought a single ticket to London because I'm not sure when I'll be coming back.

🔗 Collocations

single fare – the cost of a one-way journey

single journey – a trip with no return leg

single ticket price – the price for a one-way ticket

🔄 Synonyms

one-way ticket (n.) – A ticket valid for travel only to the destination, not back.

outbound ticket (n.) – A ticket for the outward journey only.

🚫 Antonyms

return ticket (n.) – A ticket covering travel to a place and back again.

round-trip ticket (n.) – Same as return ticket; a ticket for travel both ways.