Unmarried men, or holders of bachelor's degrees (the first undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities). Can refer to either marital status or educational achievement.
From Old French 'bacheler' meaning 'young knight' or 'junior member,' possibly from Latin 'baccalarius.' The educational sense developed in medieval universities where bachelor scholars were junior to masters, while the marital sense evolved from the idea of young, unmarried knights.
The dual meaning of 'bachelor' as both unmarried man and degree holder reflects medieval social structure - young knights were typically unmarried scholars before earning full knighthood, creating a linguistic bridge between academic and romantic achievement that persists today.
Bachelor originally meant an unmarried man; today often implies male by convention though technically gender-neutral. The term centers male identity in its unmarried state while 'spinster' (female equivalent) carries pejorative connotations.
Use 'unmarried people' or 'single individuals' for inclusive reference; 'bachelor' is acceptable if genuinely descriptive and not defaulting to male.
["unmarried people","single individuals","unwed persons"]
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.