How can something be 'very unique?'?

Question

I see this in articles and stories all the time.

Things are either unique or they aren't, correct? It's a concrete thing, no grey areas.

Do people not understand the definition, or not care to use English correctly?

Answer 1

You are correct. Things are either unique, or they are not... there is no "very unique." It's probably something the advertising wizards coined to make something sound even more worthy of wasting your money on! ;)

Perhaps people don't understand the definition; perhaps they don't care to use the English language correctly; but as it stands, you do, so that's enough.

Answer 2

Either some ad copywriter dreamed this up, for "emphasis", or someone who was very sloppy in their use of language used it in classified advertising. Then, others saw it, and decided to use it for "emphasis" of their own, or because they were too ignorant to recognize the absurdity. This caused the phrase to spread.

Once it had been used a number of times, people became accustomed to seeing it. More and more people simply copied it, assuming it must be correct, without thinking about it. After all, very few people give even casual thought to what they write.

The effect is much like spam, only in this case, rather than a blog having spam added to its content, it is our language itself that is becoming bloated with spam. And, like a computer virus, the more such an absurdity is used, the more widely it spreads, and the harder it is to eradicate.

Answer 3

Technically, you are correct:

Unique may be the foremost example of the absolute term—a term that, in the eyes of traditional grammarians, should not allow comparison or modification by an adverb of degree like very, somewhat, or quite. Thus, most grammarians believe that it is incorrect to say that something is very unique or more unique than something else, though phrases such as nearly unique and almost unique are acceptable, since in these cases unique is not modified by an adverb of degree. Most of the Usage Panel supports the traditional view. Eighty percent of the panelists disapprove of the sentence Her designs are quite unique in today’s fashion. 1
Some criticism of the comparison and modification of unique no doubt stems from the word’s use—and overuse—in advertising. For unique is everywhere. Who has not seen it in ad copy such as Our city’s most unique restaurant is now even more unique or in claims like that for the automobile that is So unique, it’s patented? In these examples unique is used as a classy-sounding synonym for unusual or distinctive. 2
But if you can’t escape the modification of unique in advertisements, you are also likely to find it in the work of many reputable writers, though without the exaggeration. When an art critic describes the most unique of Beckman’s self-portraits, and a travel writer states that Chicago is no less unique an American city than New York or San Francisco, it is hard to see what is out of joint here. After all, if we were to use unique only according to the strictest criteria of logic, we might freely apply the term to anything in the world, since nothing is wholly equivalent to anything else. Clearly, then, when we say that a restaurant or painting is unique, we mean that it is in a class by itself. It might be easier to recognize that unique, like many absolute terms, has more than one sense and can be modified with grace in certain uses.

Answer 4

It can be very unique in the same way things can be very different. Since when do we use English correctly?

Answer 5

they are trying to sell their product, the only thing on this earth that is very unique is the people who live in it. any product can be duplicated but people cant not even with cloning there and many similarities but the behaviour of the clone should it live will still be very unique.

Answer 6

I think it is a way of emphasising just how unique something is. It is a poor use of english, but what the hell, all of us mangle the language everyday.

Whatever it is, it is certainly poor evolution of a language.

Answer 7

a bit of both there partner. Seems like you already have this one figured out. So why did you ask?

Answer 8

Have Integrity.

Answer 9

some things are more uniquer than others. i know this because i am eruditer than you.

Answer 10

Yes your question is very unique
It underlines