singulière

Singulière is the feminine form of the French adjective singulier, used to describe what is unusual, remarkable, or distinctive. In general language, it can refer to a person with a peculiar character or to a case that stands outside the ordinary: for example, un cas singulier, une idée singulière. The masculine form singulier is used for masculine nouns, while singulière agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

Etymology and nuance: the word derives from Latin singulus, meaning one, single. In everyday usage, singulière often conveys a nuance of peculiarity or specificity rather than mere rarity, and its tone can be neutral, positive, or pejorative depending on context.

In scientific and mathematical terminology, singulier serves as a translation of the English singular. In mathematics, a fonction singulière is one that is not analytic or exhibits irregular behavior at a point, and a point singulier is a location where a geometric object fails to be regular. In algebraic geometry, a singularité of a variety is a point where the geometric object is not smooth. The term is also used in physics to describe singularities, such as those associated with certain spacetimes or black holes, where standard physical laws cease to apply in their usual form.

See also: singularité, singular. The sense remains linked to the idea of being one of a kind or departing from the ordinary, with the feminine form singulière used when describing a feminine noun.