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# unique

«unique» in Mova's school dictionary: **being the only one of its kind, unlike anything else:…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

adjective (unique; usually not «more unique»)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Unique means being the only one of its kind, unlike anything else: every snowflake is unique. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#m1)

2) Unique to something means found only there: koalas are unique to Australia. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#m2)

3) (informal) Unique is often used to mean very special or unusual. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons fingerprints, DNA and snowflakes are unique, which is why fingerprints can identify a person. In maths «a unique answer» means there is only one correct answer, and a unique value is one that appears only once. In PSHE lessons «everyone is unique» means each person is special and different. Phrases: unique to, truly unique, a unique chance, unique answer.

### examples

- Every person's fingerprints are unique. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#x1)
- Kangaroos are unique to Australia. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#x2)
- This puzzle has a unique solution. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#x3)
- Our school has a unique garden on the roof. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#x4)
- Everyone is unique, so we should not all be the same. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#x5)
- It was a unique chance to meet a real astronaut. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#x6)
- Each password should be unique so a hacker cannot guess them all. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#x7)
- The museum has a unique fossil found nowhere else. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#x8)
- Such a record is unique in the history of oral tradition, outside Ireland, where, however, it is quite a customary experience in the study of the Finn-saga. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/#x9)

### note

Pronounced «yoo-NEEK». Use «a unique» (not «an»), because it starts with a «you» sound. Strictly, unique means «only one», so careful writers avoid «very unique» or «more unique»; say «very unusual» instead. In maths: «unique» = exactly one; if a problem says the answer is unique, there is only one number that works.

### In the corpora

- [Toad describes his house like an estate agent's advert: «an eligible self-contained gentleman's residence very unique ...](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/52-willows-ch8-part1-the-gaolers-daughter/21/)
- [An only child is fille unique (a girl) or fils unique (a boy); enfant unique works for anyone.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/french/14-my-family/11/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «unique» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/U/unique/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.