In a way that is one of a kind and unlike anything or anyone else; distinctly or particularly.
From Latin 'unicus' meaning 'one and only', derived from 'unus' (one). The adverb form developed in the 17th century to describe things that are distinctly singular or rare.
Your fingerprints are uniquely yours—even identical twins have different fingerprints because they form randomly in the womb! The word 'unique' is so overused in marketing that linguists now worry we're losing the ability to describe truly one-of-a-kind things.
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