bachelor

[ bach-ler, bach-uh-ler ]

noun

1. an unmarried man.
2. a person who has been awarded a bachelor's degree.
3. a fur seal, especially a young male, kept from the breeding grounds by the older males.
4. Also called bach·e·lor-at-arms [bach, -ler-, uh, t-, ahrmz] . a young knight who followed the banner of another.
5. Also called house·hold knight [hous, -hohld , nahyt]. a landless knight.

bachelor

/ ˈbætʃlə; ˈbætʃələ /

noun

1. 1. an unmarried man
   2. ( as modifier )

      a bachelor flat

2. 1. a person who holds the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Science, etc
   2. the degree itself
3. Also calledbachelor-at-arms (in the Middle Ages) a young knight serving a great noble
4. bachelor seal
   a young male seal, esp a fur seal, that has not yet mated

Usage

Gender-neutral form: single person

Derived Forms

• ˈbachelorhood, noun

Other Words From

• bach·e·lor·like adjective
• bach·e·lor·ly adjective
• non·bach·e·lor noun
• pre·bach·e·lor adjective noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of bachelor¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bacheler “squire, young knight,” from Old French; origin uncertain; probably from assumed Vulgar Latin baccalār(is) “tenant farmer, farm hand”; akin to Late Latin baccalāria “piece of land,” originallly plural of assumed baccalārium “dairy farm,” equivalent to assumed baccālis “pertaining to cows” (from bacca, variant of Latin vacca “cow” + -ālis + -ārium); -al ¹, -arium ( def ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of bachelor¹

C13: from Old French bacheler youth, squire, from Vulgar Latin baccalāris (unattested) farm worker, of Celtic origin; compare Irish Gaelic bachlach peasant

Example Sentences

The singer, songwriter and actor had long played by his own rules as a bachelor and a fiercely independent artist.

From Los Angeles Times

In fact, 10 years after graduating, 45% of those with bachelor's degrees end up working jobs that typically don't require a college degree, according to a report by the Burning Glass Institute and Strada Institute for the Future of Work.

From Salon

A personalized, untelevised Bachelor/Bachelorette experience, if you will.

From Slate

The Democratic presidential nominee graduated from Howard in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in political science and economics.

From BBC

I’ve written about degree inflation before — employers requiring a bachelor’s degree or more for work that really doesn’t need it.

From Los Angeles Times