singular term

English

Noun

singular term (plural singular terms)

  1. (logic, philosophy) A word or phrase that designates (or is meant to designate) an individual object; either a proper noun or a definite description.
    • 1980, Saul Kripke, Naming and Necessity, Harvard University Press, page 27:
      A singular term is supposed to designate a single object, as opposed to a general term which applies to many objects.

Usage notes

The category of singular terms includes proper names ("Socrates"), definite descriptions ("the tallest mountain"), demonstratives ("this"), and variables ("x") when assigned a value. Some philosophers also include indexicals ("I", "now") as singular terms.

Examples

  • Proper noun: "Aristotle"
  • Definite description: "the author of the Nicomachean Ethics"
  • Demonstrative: "that man"

Synonyms

  • singular referring expression
  • singular designation

Antonyms

See also

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