bachelor

1 of 2

noun

bach·​e·​lor ˈbach-lər How to pronounce bachelor (audio) ˈba-chə- How to pronounce bachelor (audio)
1
: a young knight who follows the banner of another
2
: a person who has received a degree from a college, university, or professional school usually after four years of study
bachelor of arts
also : the degree itself
received a bachelor of laws
3
a
: an unmarried man
He chooses to remain a bachelor.
b
: a male animal (such as a fur seal) without a mate during breeding time
bachelordom
ˈbach-lər-dəm
ˈba-chə- How to pronounce bachelor (audio)
noun
bachelorhood
ˈbach-lər-ˌhu̇d
ˈba-chə- How to pronounce bachelor (audio)
noun

bachelor

2 of 2

adjective

1
: suitable for or occupied by a single person
a bachelor apartment
2
: unmarried
bachelor women
bachelor parents

Examples of bachelor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
And more than half of Asian Americans ages 25 and older have at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to roughly one-third of the general population in the same age range. Kimmy Yam, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024 John King college, education history A Boston native, King earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Rhode Island. Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Beyond tapping her extensive professional experience, Roman will draw on her bachelor degrees in geography and biology from Valparaiso University and master’s degree in geospatial science from Missouri State University (MSU). Jim Masters, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2022 The gap between those with a post-bachelor’s education and those with a high school diploma or less was similar, at 6% and 22%, respectively. Jill Tucker, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Sep. 2022 See all Example Sentences for bachelor 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bacheler "knight lacking retainers, squire, young man (especially an unmarried one), person holding the lowest university degree," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Medieval Latin *baccalāris, variant of baccalārius, bachelārius "serf without land living in the lord's household, vassal lacking a fief, knight without retainers, young clerk, student," of obscure origin

Adjective

attributive use of bachelor entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bachelor was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bachelor

Cite this Entry

“Bachelor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bachelor. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

bachelor

noun
bach·​e·​lor
ˈbach-(ə-)lər
1
: a person who has received the lowest degree given by a college, university, or professional school
bachelor of arts
also : the degree itself
2
a
: an unmarried man
b
: an unmated male animal
bachelorhood
-ˌhu̇d
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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