# singlehandedly

/ˌsɪŋɡəɫˈhændɪdɫi/ (US) · CEFR B2 · Adverb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/singlehandedly
Updated: 2026-10-18

## Definition

without help from anyone else, done by one person alone. You use it when someone does all the work themselves.

For teachers: without assistance from others; accomplished through unaided individual effort. Often emphasizes personal responsibility for an outcome that would normally require several people.

## Examples

- She runs the small shop singlehandedly every day.
- He keeps the community garden alive singlehandedly, watering plants and fixing fences each weekend.
- She built the archive singlehandedly, cataloguing thousands of letters that scholars had long considered too scattered to preserve.

## Usage notes

- Typically placed after the verb or at the end of the clause.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.