unique

unique
/ju:'ni:k/ adjective
1 (no comparative) being the only one of its kind: Each person's fingerprints are unique.
2 informal unusually good and special: a unique opportunity to travel
— uniquely adverb: an actor uniquely suited to the part — uniqueness noun (U) USAGE NOTE: UNIQUE WORD CHOICE: unique, only If you want to say that something has features or qualities that make it different from anything else, especially when this makes it better, you say it is unique: His interpretation of the original screenplay is quite unique. | a style of folk art unique to these tribespeople (=they are the only people who do it) If you want to say that there is just one of something available in a particular place at a particular time out of all the others that may exist, you say it is the only one: She was the only woman doctor in the district. | After the attack, only one building was left standing. GRAMMAR Before a singular noun unique usually follows a, only often follows theThis is a unique opportunity/ | the only opportunity I'll get. Many people think it is not correct to say something is fairly or rather unique, or very unique, as if unique can only be used in sense one. However, native speakers will often say this, because they are using unique in sense two to mean unusual or special.

Longman dictionary of contemporary English. 2004.

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  • unique — [ ynik ] adj. • 1480; lat. unicus, de unus « un » I ♦ (Sens quantitatif) 1 ♦ (Avant ou après le nom) Qui est un seul, n est pas accompagné d autres du même genre. REM. Unique a plus de force placé après le nom; il ne peut alors être remplacé par… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • unique — 1. This is one of a handful of words that give rise to strong feelings. Its primary meaning is ‘having no like or equal, peculiar to an individual’: • Throughout these fluctuations of fortune, Edith s unique teaching style was getting more finely …   Modern English usage

  • unique — Unique. adj. de tout genre. Seul. Fils unique, frere unique du Roy. unique heritier. le phenix est unique en son espece. vous estes l unique de ce sentiment là. on ne trouve plus ce livre, j en ay l unique exemplaire qui reste. la charge de… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Unique II — Unique II, vorher Unique 2, war ein österreichisches Eurodanceprojekt, das in den 1990er Jahren mit der Coverversion zu Break My Stride von Matthew Wilder auch international große Erfolge feiern konnte. Unique II wurde 1992 von den beiden… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • unique — UK US /juːˈniːk/ adjective ► something that is unique is unusual or the only one of its type: »Fast growing companies are in a unique position to attract the best candidates. »Over the past 15 years, she has made a unique contribution to the… …   Financial and business terms

  • Unique 2 — Unique II, vorher Unique 2, war ein österreichisches Eurodanceprojekt, das in den 1990er Jahren mit der Coverversion zu Break My Stride von Matthew Wilder auch international große Erfolge feiern konnte. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Geschichte 2… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Unique — steht für: Jenaer Studierenden Zeitschrift mit den Schwerpunkten Interkulturalität und Politik, siehe Unique (Zeitschrift) ehemaliger Name der Betreibergesellschaft des Flughafens Zürich,siehe Flughafen Zürich AG Unique (Cyclecar), britische… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • unique — unique·ly; unique·ness; bi·unique; unique; …   English syllables

  • unique — [yo͞o nēk′] adj. [Fr < L unicus, single < unus,ONE] 1. one and only; single; sole [a unique specimen] 2. having no like or equal; unparalleled [a unique achievement] 3. highly unusual, extraordinary, rare, etc.: a common usage still… …   English World dictionary

  • Unique — U*nique , a. [F. unique; cf. It. unico; from L. unicus, from unus one. See {One}.] Being without a like or equal; unmatched; unequaled; unparalleled; single in kind or excellence; sole. {U*nique ly}, adv. {U*nique ness}, n. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Unique — U*nique , n. A thing without a like; something unequaled or unparalleled. [R.] [1913 Webster] The phenix, the unique pf birds. De Quincey. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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