Uniquely Unique Uniqueness

Uniquely Unique Uniqueness

Either something is unique, or it isn’t.  There are no degrees of uniqueness.  Unique means “the one and the only,” “one of a kind,” “singular.”

“He is a very unique individual” is an unutterable barbarism.  “This is an extremely unique situation” is subliterate and should be rigorously avoided in speaking and in writing.

If something is unique, there is no other.  The word is derived from the Latin unus, which means “one.”

The same could be said of monogamous, innocent, talentless, mortal, immortal, immaculate, perfect, imperfect, fatal, insignificant, timeless, correct, free, whole, entire, possible, impossible, indestructible, unendurable, meaningless, irreplaceable, true, and false.  These are absolute concepts.

It makes no sense to say or write that something is totally meaningless or extremely finite.  It makes no sense to say or write that a wedding was the most perfect wedding.

Something is not more perfect than something else.  Something isn’t less fatal than something else.  Something isn’t more insignificant than something else.  Something isn’t less possible than something else.  Something isn’t more true than something else.

Joseph Suglia