no single person

USAGE SUMMARY

"no single person" is a perfectly acceptable part of a sentence in written English.
You would use it to indicate that no individual person is responsible or capable of carrying out a task. For example, "No single person could have predicted the country's economic downfall."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

Each of us views life through our personal filters and no single person sees the world in the same way.

Huffington Post

"No single person can play with the Constitution".

The New York Times

He said no single person appeared to be the target.

The New York Times

Yet there was no single person, a Svengali figure, at its helm.

The Guardian

But no single person can know whether he will live longer or shorter than the average.

The Guardian - Opinion

"No single person is more important to the game than the referee," she said.

The New York Times

"This is an extraordinary institution... There's no single person who is essential to that.

The Guardian - Business

Obama was frustrated that no single person was able to make decisions.

The New Yorker

Launch codes are split in two, and no single person is allowed to know both parts.

The New Yorker

"When analyzing information, no single person knows it all," he said.

The New York Times - Tech

It is apparent that no single person is likely to meet all of these specialized qualifications.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "no single person" to emphasize the collaborative nature of a task or the distributed responsibility for an outcome.

Common error

Avoid using "no single person" as a way to deflect individual accountability when there is clear evidence of someone's direct involvement. Instead, use it when responsibility is genuinely shared or diffused.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "no single person" functions primarily as a determiner phrase. According to Ludwig AI, it introduces a noun and emphasizes the absence of any individual fulfilling a particular role, responsibility, or having a specific attribute. It is used to negate the idea of individual agency or uniqueness within a group or situation.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Science

19%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

2%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "no single person" is a versatile and commonly used expression, as confirmed by Ludwig. It serves to negate individual responsibility, capability, or influence. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase functions as a determiner phrase, communicating shared responsibility and lack of individual control. It is grammatically correct and appropriate for a variety of registers, primarily appearing in news and media, scientific, and formal business contexts. When using the phrase, it's best to ensure that you're accurately reflecting a truly shared or diffuse responsibility, rather than attempting to deflect individual accountability.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not one individual

Emphasizes the lack of even one person involved or responsible.

nobody alone

Highlights that the task or situation requires collaboration.

no one person alone

Adds emphasis to the concept of 'alone', suggesting a need for teamwork.

not a single individual

Uses more formal language than "no single person" with 'individual'.

no one on their own

Focuses on the idea of independent action being insufficient.

without any single person

More verbose, stressing the absence of individual agency.

no individual alone

Reorders the words to slightly shift the emphasis.

not any one person

Alternative word choice emphasizing the lack of a unique individual.

no particular person

Indicates the lack of a specific individual designated or capable.

it's not up to any one person

Shifts the focus to responsibility and decision-making authority.

FAQs

How can I use "no single person" in a sentence?

You can use "no single person" to emphasize the lack of individual responsibility, capability, or influence in a given situation. For instance, "No single person is to blame for the economic downturn; it was a confluence of factors."

What are some alternatives to "no single person"?

Alternatives to "no single person" include "not one individual", "nobody alone", or "no one person alone", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it grammatically correct to say "no single person is responsible"?

Yes, "no single person is responsible" is grammatically correct. It uses a singular verb ("is") because "person" is singular, even though it refers to a lack of any individual.

What's the difference between "no single person" and "no individual"?

"No single person" emphasizes the human element and often refers to responsibility or capability. "No individual", while similar, can be more abstract and may refer to any entity, human or otherwise. Context often dictates which phrase is more appropriate.