Single vs. Taken — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 14, 2023
"Single" refers to an individual not currently in a romantic relationship, while "Taken" signifies someone in a committed relationship.
Difference Between Single and Taken
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Key Differences
Single typically describes an individual who isn't romantically committed to another person. On the other hand, Taken is a term used to denote that someone is in a romantic relationship, signifying that they're off the dating market.
When someone identifies as Single, it means they have the freedom to date, meet new people, and potentially enter into new relationships without having any existing commitments. Conversely, being Taken implies a certain level of responsibility and loyalty to one's partner.
The state of being Single often comes with its own set of societal perceptions, with some viewing it as a time of independence and self-exploration, while others might see it as a transitional phase before finding a partner. Taken, meanwhile, generally implies stability and a dedicated bond between two individuals.
Both Single and Taken are labels, and while they give a broad overview of someone's romantic status, they don't capture the nuances and complexities of personal relationships. For instance, someone might be Single yet dating multiple people, or Taken but in an open relationship.
It's essential to understand that neither being Single nor Taken is inherently better or worse. Both statuses offer different experiences, opportunities, and challenges, and what's right for one person at a certain time might not be for another.
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Comparison Chart
Meaning
Not in a romantic relationship.
In a committed romantic relationship.
Social Implication
Freedom to date and meet new people.
Responsibility and loyalty to a partner.
Relationship Status
No current romantic commitments.
Committed to a partner.
Flexibility
More flexibility in terms of romantic exploration.
Bound by the norms of the relationship.
Emotional State
Might feel independence or longing, based on perspective.
Might feel security or restriction, based on dynamics.
Compare with Definitions
Single
Unique or individual.
Every Single time I try, I succeed.
Taken
Captivated or entranced.
He was Taken by her beauty.
Single
Designed for one person.
She booked a Single room at the hotel.
Taken
Possessed or occupied by someone.
That seat is Taken.
Single
Only one; not one of several
The kingdom was ruled over by a single family
A single red rose
Taken
Engaged in a romantic relationship.
Jake is Taken; he's been dating Emily for two years.
Single
Unmarried or not involved in a stable sexual relationship
A single mother
Taken
Past participle of take.
Single
Consisting of one part
The studio was a single large room
Taken
Infatuated; fond of or attracted to.
He was very taken with the girl, I hear.
Single
Free from duplicity or deceit; ingenuous
A pure and single heart
Taken
(informal) In a serious romantic relationship.
I can't ask him out, she's taken.
Single
An individual person or thing rather than part of a pair or a group.
Taken
Past participle of take
Single
A hit for one run.
Taken
Understood in a certain way; made sense of;
A word taken literally
A smile taken as consent
An open door interpreted as an invitation
Single
(especially in tennis and badminton) a game or competition for individual players, not pairs or teams.
Taken
Having possession gained especially by force or effort
Single
A system of change-ringing in which one pair of bells changes places at each round.
Taken
Be affected with an indisposition;
The child was taken ill
Couldn't tell when he would be taken drunk
Single
Choose someone or something from a group for special treatment
One newspaper was singled out for criticism
Taken
Removed from its usual place.
The book was Taken from the shelf.
Single
Thin out (seedlings or saplings)
Hand hoes are used for singling roots
Taken
Understood in a specified manner.
Her words were Taken as a compliment.
Single
Reduce (a railway track) to a single line
The South Western line was singled west of Salisbury
Single
Hit a single
Cohen singled to centre
Single
Not accompanied by another or others; solitary.
Single
Consisting of one part, aspect, or section
A single thickness.
A single serving.
Single
Having the same application for all; uniform
A single moral code for all.
Single
Consisting of one in number
She had but a single thought, which was to escape.
Single
Not divided; unbroken
A single slab of ice.
Single
Separate from others; individual and distinct
Every single child will receive a gift.
Single
Having individual opponents; involving two individuals only
Single combat.
Single
Honest; undisguised
A single adoration.
Single
Wholly attentive
You must judge the contest with a single eye.
Single
Designed to accommodate one person or thing
A single bed.
Single
Not married or involved in a romantic relationship
Once he knew she was single, he asked her to go out.
Single
Relating to a state of being unmarried or uninvolved in a romantic relationship
Enjoys the single life.
Single
(Botany) Having only one rank or row of petals
A single flower.
Single
One that is separate and individual.
Single
Something capable of carrying, moving, or holding one person or thing at a time, as a bed or a hotel room.
Single
A person who is not married or involved in a romantic relationship.
Single
Singles Such persons considered as a group
A bar for singles.
Single
A one-dollar bill.
Single
A phonograph record, especially a forty-five, having one song on each side.
Single
A song on one of these sides.
Single
A song, often from a full-length album or compact disc, that is released for airplay.
Single
(Baseball) A hit enabling the batter to reach first base. Also called one-bagger, one-base hit.
Single
A hit for one run in cricket.
Single
A golf match between two players.
Single
Often singles A tennis or badminton match between two players.
Single
Singles A competition in which individuals compete against each other, as in rowing or figure skating.
Single
To cause (a base runner) to score or advance by hitting a single
Singled him to second.
Single
To cause the scoring of (a run) by hitting a single.
Single
To hit a single.
Single
Not accompanied by anything else; one in number.
Can you give me a single reason not to leave right now?
The vase contained a single long-stemmed rose.
Single
Not divided in parts.
The potatoes left the spoon and landed in a single big lump on the plate.
Single
Designed for the use of only one.
A single room
Single
Performed by one person, or one on each side.
A single combat
Single
Not married, and (in modern times) not dating or without a significant other.
Forms often ask if a person is single, married, divorced, or widowed. In this context, a person who is dating someone but who has never married puts "single".
Josh put down that he was a single male on the dating website.
Single
(botany) Having only one rank or row of petals.
Single
(obsolete) Simple and honest; sincere, without deceit.
Single
Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.
Single
(obsolete) Simple; foolish; weak; silly.
Single
(music) A 45 RPM vinyl record with one song on side A and one on side B.
Single
(music) A popular song released and sold (on any format) nominally on its own though usually having at least one extra track.
The Offspring released four singles from their most recent album.
Single
One who is not married or does not have a romantic partner.
He went to the party, hoping to meet some friendly singles there.
Single
(cricket) A score of one run.
Single
(baseball) A hit in baseball where the batter advances to first base.
Single
(dominoes) A tile that has a different value (i.e. number of pips) at each end.
Single
A bill valued at $1.
I don't have any singles, so you'll have to make change.
Single
(UK) A one-way ticket.
Single
(Canadian football) A score of one point, awarded when a kicked ball is dead within the non-kicking team's end zone or has exited that end zone.
Single
A game with one player on each side, as in tennis.
Single
One of the reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness.
Single
A handful of gleaned grain.
Single
A floating-point number having half the precision of a double-precision value.
Single
(film) A shot of only one character.
Single
A single cigarette.
Single
Synonym of single-driver.
Single
To identify or select one member of a group from the others; generally used with out, either to single out or to single (something) out.
Eddie singled out his favorite marble from the bag.
Yvonne always wondered why Ernest had singled her out of the group of giggling girls she hung around with.
Single
(baseball) To get a hit that advances the batter exactly one base.
Pedro singled in the bottom of the eighth inning, which, if converted to a run, would put the team back into contention.
Single
(agriculture) To thin out.
Single
(of a horse) To take the irregular gait called singlefoot.
Single
To sequester; to withdraw; to retire.
Single
To take alone, or one by one; to single out.
Single
(transitive) To reduce (a railway) to single track.
Single
One only, as distinguished from more than one; consisting of one alone; individual; separate; as, a single star.
No single man is born with a right of controlling the opinions of all the rest.
Single
Alone; having no companion.
Who single hast maintained,Against revolted multitudes, the causeOf truth.
Single
Hence, unmarried; as, a single man or woman.
Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.
Single chose to live, and shunned to wed.
Single
Not doubled, twisted together, or combined with others; as, a single thread; a single strand of a rope.
Single
Performed by one person, or one on each side; as, a single combat.
These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant, . . . Who now defles thee thrice ti single fight.
Single
Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.
Simple ideas are opposed to complex, and single to compound.
Single
Not deceitful or artful; honest; sincere.
I speak it with a single heart.
Single
Simple; not wise; weak; silly.
He utters such single matter in so infantly a voice.
Single
To select, as an individual person or thing, from among a number; to choose out from others; to separate.
Dogs who hereby can single out their master in the dark.
His blood! she faintly screamed her mindStill singling one from all mankind.
Single
To sequester; to withdraw; to retire.
An agent singling itself from consorts.
Single
To take alone, or one by one.
Men . . . commendable when they are singled.
Single
To take the irrregular gait called single-foot; - said of a horse. See Single-foot.
Many very fleet horses, when overdriven, adopt a disagreeable gait, which seems to be a cross between a pace and a trot, in which the two legs of one side are raised almost but not quite, simultaneously. Such horses are said to single, or to be single-footed.
Single
A unit; one; as, to score a single.
Single
The reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness.
Single
A handful of gleaned grain.
Single
A game with but one player on each side; - usually in the plural.
Single
A hit by a batter which enables him to reach first base only.
Single
A base hit on which the batter stops safely at first base
Single
The smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number;
He has the one but will need a two and three to go with it
They had lunch at one
Single
Hit a one-base hit
Single
Existing alone or consisting of one entity or part or aspect or individual;
Upon the hill stood a single tower
Had but a single thought which was to escape
A single survivor
A single serving
A single lens
A single thickness
Single
Used of flowers having usually only one row or whorl of petals;
Single chrysanthemums resemble daisies and may have more than one row of petals
Single
Not married or related to the unmarried state;
Unmarried men and women
Unmarried life
Sex and the single girl
Single parenthood
Are you married or single?
Single
Characteristic of or meant for a single person or thing;
An individual serving
Separate rooms
Single occupancy
A single bed
Single
Having uniform application;
A single legal code for all
Single
Not divided among or brought to bear on more than one object or objective;
Judging a contest with a single eye
A single devotion to duty
Undivided affection
Gained their exclusive attention
Single
Involved two individuals;
Single combat
Single
Individual and distinct;
Pegged down each separate branch to the earth
A gift for every single child
Single
Not romantically involved with another person.
After her breakup, Lisa remained Single for a year.
Single
Unaccompanied by others; alone.
She went to the party as a Single individual.
Single
Relating to the unmarried state.
He checked the Single box on the form.
Common Curiosities
Do Single people always date around?
No, being Single doesn't necessarily mean one is dating multiple people.
Does Taken always mean someone is married?
No, Taken means in a romantic relationship, which could be dating, engaged, or married.
Is it correct to assume if someone is not wearing a ring, they're Single?
No, not all Taken individuals wear rings. It's best not to assume based on appearances.
Are there emotional differences between being Single and Taken?
Individuals can experience a range of emotions in either status; it varies from person to person.
Can someone be Taken but feel Single?
Yes, someone in a distant or unfulfilling relationship might feel the emotional aspects of being Single.
Can someone be happy being Single?
Absolutely. Happiness depends on individual experiences, not just relationship status.
What does it mean when someone says they're Single?
Being Single means they're not in a committed romantic relationship.
Can someone be legally Single but still be Taken romantically?
Yes, a person can be unmarried (Single) but in a committed relationship (Taken).
How should I ask someone if they're Single or Taken?
You can directly ask, "Are you currently in a relationship?" or "Are you seeing someone?"
Why do some people choose to remain Single?
Reasons vary, including prioritizing personal growth, past experiences, or professional commitments.
Is it better to be Single or Taken?
Neither status is inherently better; it depends on personal preferences and circumstances.
Does being Single mean someone is lonely?
No, being Single doesn't equate to loneliness. Many Single individuals have fulfilling social lives.
How do cultures vary in their views on Single and Taken statuses?
Cultural norms influence perceptions, with some societies valuing marriage and partnerships more than others.
How has the perception of being Single changed over time?
Modern societies are more accepting of Singlehood as a choice and not just a transitional phase.
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Relentless vs. TenaciousAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
