Meet Singles is someone who has never been married. A person who was previously married and was divorced or widowed is usually considered an "unmarried" person.

If a marriage is annulled, however, or it is found to have been void ab initio (i.e., not valid in law to start with). Assuming the person was not married previously, that individual is single, rather than unmarried; because a marriage that is annulled or adjudged void is a marriage that, legally, never existed.

In that situation, the law behaves as though the parties thought they were married when, in actuality, they were not. The term single in its common usage is often referred to someone who isn't involved in any type of relationship, whether it would be dating, engagement, and marriage.

Both single and unmarried people may participate in dating rituals and other activities to find a long-term partner or spouse. However, in some cases single people are not interested in marriage, domestic partnership, or other types of formal, committed relationships.

People may choose to remain single for a variety of reasons, including: financial and emotional or physical health issues, gender ratio imbalance, stress in the family, time constraints, education, career, personal preferences, advanced age, and social fears. Certain careers and positions require that people remain single.

Sometimes, this is coupled with celibacy or chastity, either for secular or for religious reasons, such as priests, nuns and monks in certain faiths.

Loneliness can occur for some people who look for but cannot find anyone they might wish to date, especially for those suffering the loss of companionship following divorce or bereavement. Some single people, however, regard and appreciate solitude as an opportunity.

Certain situations assume that a person is married; this includes laws that vary depending on the country. For example, in the United States, Social Security relies solely on spouses, children, and other family. It is assumed they will inherit or replace the holder when they are deceased. Single persons are exempt from such benefits.