■ adjective
1》 being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.
↘( ~ to ) belonging or connected to (one particular person, place, or thing).
2》 special or unusual.
Derivatives
~ly adverb
~ness noun
Origin
C17: from Fr., from L. unicus , from unus 'one'.
Usage
Strictly speaking, since the core meaning of ~ is ‘being the only one of its kind’, it is logically impossible to modify it by adverbs such as really or quite . However, ~ has a less precise sense in addition to its main meaning: ‘special or unusual’ ( a really ~ opportunity ). Here, ~ does not relate to an absolute concept, and so the use of really and similar adverbs is acceptable.