unary

[ yoo-nuh-ree ]

adjective

, Mathematics.

1. pertaining to a function whose domain is a given set and whose range is contained in that set.

unary

/ ˈjuːnərɪ /

adjective

1. consisting of, or affecting, a single element or component; monadic

Word History and Origins

Origin of unary¹

1570–80; < Latin ūn ( us ) one + -ary, on the model of binary

Word History and Origins

Origin of unary¹

C16 (in the obsolete sense: a unit): from Latin unus one + -ary

Example Sentences

Mentioning it is usually good for a cheap laugh among hackers -- the design was so baroque, and the implementation of 1.x so bad, that 3 years after introduction you could still count the major apps shipping for it on the fingers of two hands -- in unary.

From Project Gutenberg