single-issue
Meaning
Focusing on or concerned with only one subject or problem.
Structure
Usage
He is a single-issue voter, basing his entire choice on environmental policy.
The organization started as a single-issue campaign but later broadened its scope.
Critics argue that a single-approach to complex problems is often ineffective.
Etymology
The compound adjective "single-issue" is a modern English formation, primarily used in political and social discourse. It logically combines "single," from the Latin root for "one," with "issue," which evolved from the Latin concept of "an outflow" to signify a point of discussion or contention. The term's literal construction—"one topic"—perfectly captures its modern abstract meaning: describing a person, group, or policy narrowly focused on a sole matter of concern, such as a single-issue voter. This transparent compounding reflects a common pattern in English for creating precise descriptive terms, where the combined sense is directly derived from the sum of its parts.
Analysis
- single: From Latin singulus (one, individual). In this compound, it functions as an adjective meaning "one, sole, or separate." - issue: From Old French issue (exit, outcome), from Latin exire (to go out). In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning "a topic, problem, or matter of concern."