single-use

adjective

sin·​gle-use ˈsiŋ-gəl-ˈyüs How to pronounce single-use (audio)
variants or less commonly single use
: intended or designed to be used once and then discarded
single-use plastics
single-use paper products
Surgical masks are single-use face coverings that are designed to act as a barrier to sneezes or other potential exchanges of germs.—Anandi Barker

Examples of single-use 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.
Muse, Instinct and Claude Duet all handle payments through Stripe’s Link service, which can generate single-use virtual cards to keep card details hidden. — Marty Swant, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026 Now, Silverstein is hoping to organize swaps for back-to-school, prom season, winter coats and other high-consumption, single-use times of year. — Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026 That includes the 30x30 program to conserve 30% of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030, advanced protections for wetlands and new efforts to rein in the use of harmful pesticides and single-use plastic. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Many hotels have abandoned single-use amenities, and the JW Marriott has followed that move by installing refillable shampoo and other containers. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for single-use

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of single-use was in 1897

Rhymes for single-use

See All Rhymes for single-use

Browse Nearby Words

singletree
single-use
single-valued
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Single-use.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single-use. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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