Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - unique

~ adj 1 no comparative being the only one of its kind  (Each person's fingerprints are unique.) 2 informal unusually good and special  (a unique opportunity to travel) - uniquely adv  (an actor uniquely suited to the part) - uniqueness n  ( USAGE NOTE: UNIQUE WORD CHOICE unique, only If you want to say that something has features or qualities that make it different from anything else, especially when this makes it better, you say it is unique His interpretation of the original screenplay is quite unique. | a style of folk art unique to these tribespeople (=they are the only people who do it) If you want to say that there is just one of something available in a particular place at a particular time out of all the others that may exist, you say it is the only one She was the only woman doctor in the district. | After the attack, only one building was left standing. GRAMMAR Before a singular n unique usually follows a, only often follows theThis is a unique opportunity/ | the only opportunity I'll get. Many people think it is not correct to say something is fairly or rather unique, or very unique, as if unique can only be used in sense one. However, native speakers will often say this, because they are using unique in sense two to mean unusual or special. )