What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

What is the difference between singular and plural?

singular | plural | Antonyms |

Plural is a antonym of singular.



In grammar terms the difference between singular and plural

is that singular is a form of a word that refers to only one person or thing while plural is : a word in the form in which it potentially refers to something other than one person or thing; and other than two things if the language has a dual form.

singular

English

Alternative forms

* (abbreviation):

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Being only one of a larger population.
    • A singular experiment cannot be regarded as scientific proof of the existence of a phenomenon.
  • Being the only one of the kind; unique.
    • She has a singular personality.
  • * Addison
    • These busts of the emperors and empresses are all very scarce, and some of them almost singular in their kind.
  • * Chaucer
    • And God forbid that all a company / Should rue a singular man's folly.
    (Francis Bacon)
  • Distinguished by superiority; eminent; extraordinary; exceptional.
    • a man of singular gravity or attainments
  • Out of the ordinary; curious.
    • It was very singular ; I don't know why he did it.
  • * Denham
    • So singular a sadness / Must have a cause as strange as the effect.
  • * Milton
    • His zeal / None seconded, as out of season judged, / Or singular and rash.
  • (grammar) Referring to only one thing or person.
  • (linear algebra, of matrix) Having no inverse.
  • (linear algebra, of transformation) Having the property that the matrix of coefficients of the new variables has a determinant equal to zero.
  • (set theory, of a cardinal number) Not equal to its own .
  • (legal) Each; individual.
    • to convey several parcels of land, all and singular
  • (obsolete) Engaged in by only one on a side; single.
  • * Holinshed
    • to try the matter thus together in a singular combat

    Synonyms

    * (being only one) individual * (being the only one of a kind) unique * (distinguished by superiority) exceptional, extraordinary, remarkable * (being out of the ordinary) curious, eccentric, funny, odd, peculiar, strange, rum, rummy, unusual * non-invertible

    Antonyms

    * plural * invertible, non-singular

    Derived terms

    * singularity * singularize

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (grammar) A form of a word that refers to only one person or thing.

    • Antonyms

    * plural

    External links

    * * *

    See also

    * * simplex * simple * single * singulus

    Anagrams

    * ----

    plural

    English

    (wikipedia plural)

    Alternative forms

    *

    Adjective

    (more)
  • Consisting of or containing more than one of something.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Plural faith, which is too much by one.
  • (comparable) Pluralistic.
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • *

    • Synonyms

    * (l) * (l) * (l) * (l)

    Antonyms

    * (l)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (grammar): a word in the form in which it potentially refers to something other than one person or thing; and other than two things if the language has a dual form.

    • Usage notes

    * Many languages have singular and plural forms for one item or more than one item. Some have a singular form for one, dual form for two, trial form for three, paucal form for several, and plural for more than two (e.g., Arabic, Fijian). * While the plural form generally refers to two or more persons or things, that is not always the case. The plural form is often used for zero persons or things, for fractional things in a quantity greater than one, and for people or things when the quantity is unknown. * In English, the plural is most often formed simply by adding the letter "s" to the end of a noun, e.g. apple/apples. There are many exceptions, however, such as echo/echoes, mouse/mice, child/children, deer/deer (same word), etc.

    Antonyms

    * singular

    See also

    * ----