What does singleton mean?
A singleton is a person, object, or instance that is the only one of its kind or the sole member of a group. The term can describe a person who is unmarried, a household consisting of one person, or an exceptional item that has no equivalent. In computing, it refers to a class or resource that is instantiated only once. In everyday speech, the word often suggests isolation or being distinctive: a singleton parent may manage a household without a partner, while a rare example can be described as a singleton in its field. Although “single” can describe one item, “singleton” more strongly emphasizes uniqueness or exclusive membership. The word is useful when the fact that something exists alone is important, rather than merely counting one item.
A person or thing that is the only one of its kind or the sole member of a group.
"The rare plant is a singleton in the region."
In computing, specifically an object or instance that exists only once within a system.
Existing or occurring as the only one of a kind or category.
"They live in a singleton household."
Common in combinations such as “singleton parent,” “singleton household,” and “singleton state.”
The regular plural is “singletons,” used for separate people, things, or instances that are each the only one of their kind.
"The collection includes several singletons from the early period."
A singleton is rare by definition: it is the one that stands apart from the rest.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does singleton come from?
The word combines “single,” meaning one or alone, with the suffix “-ton,” a development associated with words such as “cotton” and “button” that ultimately relate to Latin forms meaning a collection or whole. “Singleton” developed in the late sixteenth century for a solitary person or thing. Its modern computing sense follows the older general meaning by analogy with a single instance.
How singleton is actually used
The noun is neutral in general use. In computing and mathematics, it is a technical term for an entity that has exactly one instance or member.
Easily confused with singleton
A single thing is one item or instance, while a singleton emphasizes being the sole member of a category, group, or system.