singly

S1I1N1G2L1Y4
/ˈsɪŋ.ɡli/

adverb

In a single or unaccompanied manner; without a companion.

“to attack another singly”

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 10

Meanings

adverbsingly (not comparable)
  1. 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, […], →OCLC
    3 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, […], →OCLC

    Grey-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, →OCLC

    They 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 Adam

    Synonyms: alone

  2. 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 211

    Synonyms: discretely

  3. not comparableWithout partners, companions, or associates; single-handed.

    to attack another singly

    Synonyms: unassisted

  4. not comparableHonestly; sincerely; simply.

    Synonyms: truly

  5. not comparableobsoleteSingularly; peculiarly.

    Synonyms: oddly

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbIn a single or unaccompanied manner; without a companion.

Similar

adverbIndividually; particularly; severally.

Similar

adverbWithout partners, companions, or associates; single-handed.

Similar

adverbHonestly; sincerely; simply.

Similar

adverbSingularly; peculiarly.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adverbone by one; one at a time

Opposite

adverbapart from others

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Middle Englishsenglely
  2. Englishsingly

From Middle English senglely. Equivalent to single + -ly.

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
APA

singly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/singly

MLA

“singly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/singly. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “singly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/singly.

Source: singly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.