noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
unmarried person; single person; bachelorhood; spinsterhood
Only when written 独り身
Refers to a person who is not married, or the state of being unmarried. Often used in contexts discussing marital status. The term 独身 is more common in everyday speech.
See also: 独身
He is still single.
Life as a single person is carefree.
living alone; person who lives alone; living apart from family
Describes a person living by themselves, separate from family. Can refer to the state of living alone or the person in that situation. Less common than sense 1.
I'm living alone in the city.
When you live alone, all the housework falls on you.
独り身 is a colloquial term emphasizing living alone or having no partner, whereas 独身 focuses specifically on one's unmarried legal status.
Standard kanji spelling; the 独 character emphasizes 'alone' or 'single'.
Variant spelling using 一人 (one person); less common but still encountered.
Compound of 独り (ひとり, 'alone') + 身 (み, 'body, person'). The spelling 一人身 uses the more general 'one person' character. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the Edo period.