Meanings
- not comparableIn a single or unaccompanied manner; without a companion.
The cross, reared now above all other objects, and standing singly out against the sky, was greeted with a burst of delight; […
1880 November 12, Lew[is] Wallace, chapter X, in Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC3 more examples
Singly, they are every one a representation or appearance of some quality, or other accident of a body without us, which is commonly called an object.
1651, Thomas Hobbes, chapter I, in Leviathan, or The Matter, Forme, & Power of a Common-wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civill, London: […] [William Wilson] for Andrew Crooke, […], →OCLCGrey-coloured woods covered a large part of the surface. This even tint was indeed broken up by streaks of yellow sand-break in the lower lands, and by many tall trees of the pine family, out-topping the others—some singly, some in clumps […]
1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “13: How My Shore Adventure Began”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLCThey dragged themselves from the swamp singly, and in twos and threes, more dead than alive, mere perambulating skeletons, until at last there were thirty of us.
1906, Jack London, chapter XVIII, in Before AdamSynonyms: alone
- not comparableIndividually; particularly; severally.
to make men singly and personally good
1 more example
Ursula saw that now Bella Watson's chance meetings with him had to be strategically and singly planned by Bella, whose wifely attentions to the bereaved man were markedly meaning.
1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 211Synonyms: discretely
- not comparableWithout partners, companions, or associates; single-handed.
to attack another singly
Synonyms: unassisted
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbIn a single or unaccompanied manner; without a companion.
adverbIndividually; particularly; severally.
adverbWithout partners, companions, or associates; single-handed.
adverbHonestly; sincerely; simply.
adverbSingularly; peculiarly.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbone by one; one at a time
adverbapart from others
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishsenglely
- Englishsingly
From Middle English senglely. Equivalent to single + -ly.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian поотделно, самостоятелно
- поотделно (pootdelno)in a single or unaccompanied manner; without a companion
- самостоятелно (samostojatelno)individually; separately
Finnish erikseen, yksitellen
- erikseenin a single or unaccompanied manner; without a companion
- yksitellenin a single or unaccompanied manner; without a companion
Latin singillātim
- singillātimindividually; separately
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with singly
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
singly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/singly
“singly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/singly. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “singly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/singly.
Source: singly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.