The adjective unique is an absolute term meaning “one of a kind”; therefore, do not write the most unique or very unique. Note that unique is preceded by the article a (not an).
- The University of Guelph Arboretum has a unique combination of Japanese, English and Italian gardens.
Unique is sometimes used informally to mean “unusual, remarkable or outstanding,” but this is non-standard.
- Yours is an unusual proposal, but it could not accurately be called unique.
Unique to indicates something that is found in only one place, culture, etc.
- The Canada goose is not unique to Canada.
Copyright notice for Writing Tips Plus
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement
A tool created and made available online by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada
Search by related themes
Want to learn more about a theme discussed on this page? Click on a link below to see all the pages on the Language Portal of Canada that relate to the theme you selected. The search results will be displayed in Language Navigator.
Related links
- Writing Tips Plus (home page)
- Writing tools
- Language Navigator (for fast access to language tips)
- TERMIUM Plus®