singularity

IPA/ˌsɪŋɡjuˈlærəti/
KK[sˈɪŋɡjəlˈɛrəti]IPA/ˌsɪŋɡjuˈlærəti/

singularity — noun

  • singularitysingular
  • singularitiesplural

1. the state of being unlike anything else; standing out as notably different from

1.nounC1
Definition

the state of being unlike anything else; standing out as notably different from what is ordinary or expected — a voice no one can copy, or a story that breaks every convention

Example

Amihan's quiet way of solving problems gave her work a singularity that senior staff admired.

collocation: a singularity that [clause]

The singularity of the old church's carved wooden doors drew visitors from across the region.

Common collocations
  • possess a singularity
  • singularity of style
  • a certain singularity
Synonyms
  • uniqueness

    more everyday and less literary than 'singularity'

  • distinctiveness

    broader in scope; applies to groups as well as individuals

  • originality

    focuses on creative newness rather than mere difference

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the singularity of [something]

2. a predicted future moment when artificial intelligence grows far smarter than hu

2.nounB2
Definition

a predicted future moment when artificial intelligence grows far smarter than humans, setting off changes that are impossible to foresee or control

Example

Hao believes the singularity will arrive within thirty years, reshaping medicine, transport, and war.

often capitalised: 'the Singularity'

At the conference, Madison argued that preparing laws for the singularity is more urgent than most governments realise.

Common collocations
  • approach the singularity
  • the technological singularity
  • after the singularity
  • before the singularity

Grammar Patterns

the [technological] singularity

Usage Note

Often capitalised as 'the Singularity' when referring to the specific predicted event. Common in discussions of artificial intelligence and futurism.

Common Mistakes

Scientists discovered a singularity inside the black hole.' (when meaning the AI event).
Scientists debated whether the singularity would arrive by 2050.
sense 2 is about AI surpassing humans; for black holes, use sense 3.

3. a location in space-time — such as deep inside a black hole — at which a physica

3.nounC2
Definition

a location in space-time — such as deep inside a black hole — at which a physical quantity or mathematical function becomes infinite and standard equations fail

Example

Sivan's physics professor drew a diagram showing how a singularity forms when a massive star collapses.

domain: technical usage in astrophysics and mathematics

At a black hole's singularity, the known laws of physics stop producing sensible answers.

Common collocations
  • gravitational singularity
  • spacetime singularity
  • at a singularity
  • near the singularity

Grammar Patterns

a [gravitational] singularity

Usage Note

Used only in technical contexts — mathematics, astrophysics, and theoretical physics. Distinguish from sense 2 (AI BREAKTHROUGH), which describes a futuristic event rather than a point in space-time.

Common Mistakes

The singularity will happen when robots become smarter than us.
The singularity lies at the centre of a black hole.
don't confuse the mathematical concept (sense 3) with the AI prediction (sense 2).

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

The singularity refers specifically to the moment AI surpasses human intelligence, triggering runaway change. A technological revolution (like the Industrial Revolution) is broader — it can be gradual and human-led, unfolding over generations. A paradigm shift (from Thomas Kuhn) describes a change in fundamental assumptions within a field of study, not necessarily driven by technology; the shift from Newtonian to Einsteinian physics is a classic example. An inflection point is the most general term: any moment when a trend changes direction sharply. An intelligence explosion (coined by I.J. Good) is the closest relative — it describes the feedback loop where smarter AI builds even smarter AI — but it focuses on the mechanism rather than the event itself. The singularity is thus one specific kind of inflection point, one so extreme that everything after it becomes unpredictable. Think: the Industrial Revolution took two centuries; the singularity, once triggered, might reshape society in hours.

technological revolutionparadigm shiftinflection pointintelligence explosion

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • singularity of

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Latin singularis meaning 'alone, single, unique' (from singulus 'one, individual'), passing through Old French singuler and entering Middle English as 'singular.' The core meaning of 'being the only one of its kind' dates to the 14th century. The mathematical sense — a point where a function breaks down — developed in the 17th century with the rise of calculus. The technological sense was coined by mathematician John von Neumann in the 1950s and popularised by science-fiction writer Vernor Vinge in the 1980s and 1990s, referring to a future point beyond which human prediction becomes impossible.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1