Unique — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Unique (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. being out of the ordinary

   "the restaurant, specializing in fusion cuisine, provides a truly unique dining experience for those who can afford it"

   similar: aberrant, aberrated, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, especial, exceeding, exceptional, extraordinaire, extraordinary, freak, odd, peculiar, phenomenal, preternatural, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unusual, unwonted
   related: conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, salient, striking, bizarre, deviant, eccentric, freakish, monstrous, oddball, outlandish, quaint, strange, weird, incomprehensible, inconceivable, incredible, unimaginable, unthinkable
   opposite: common, customary, normal, ordinary, typical, unexceptional, unextraordinary, usual
   near: everyday, familiar, frequent

2. being the one or ones of a class with no other members

   "the Mapparium, a huge glass globe that visitors can walk through, is unique—there's not another one like it anywhere"

   similar: alone, lone, one, one-off, only, singular, sole, solitary, special, sui generis
   related: single, solo, unaccompanied, unattended, incomparable, inimitable, matchless, peerless, unequaled, unmatched, unparalleled, unrivaled, unsurpassable, unsurpassed, distinct, distinctive, individual, separate, nonce
   near: divers, manifold, multifarious, myriad, assorted, heterogenous, miscellaneous, mixed, motley, patchwork, promiscuous, varied, popular, prevailing, prevalent, rampant, perennial, recurrent, repeated

3. noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced

   "a unique ability to add large sums in his head"

   similar: curious, extraordinary, funny, odd, offbeat, out-of-the-way, peculiar, queer, rare, singular, strange, unaccustomed, uncommon, uncustomary, unusual, weird
   related: bizarre, eccentric, far-out, kooky, oddball, outlandish, outré, way-out, aberrant, abnormal, atypical, exceptional, irregular, newsworthy, notable, noteworthy, noticeable, particular, remarkable, special
   opposite: common, ordinary, plain, usual
   near: unexceptional, expected, predictable, familiar, normal, regular, typical

4. of, relating to, or belonging to a single person

   "a comedian who brings a unique and twisted perspective to contemporary social issues"

   similar: idiomatic, individual, individualized, particular, patented, peculiar, personal, personalized, private, privy, separate, singular, subjective
   related: characteristic, distinctive, intimate, identifying, idiosyncratic, especial, express, special, specific, independent, nonconformist, self-directed, self-sufficient, custom, customized, specialized
   opposite: general, generic, popular, public, shared, universal
   near: broad, prevailing, prevalent, widespread, common, normal, regular, typical