sole

¹ American  

[sohl] / soʊl /

adjective

1. being the only one; only.

   the sole living relative.

   Synonyms:

   solitary

2. being the only one of the kind; unsurpassed; unique; matchless.

   the sole brilliance of the gem.

   Synonyms:

   individual

3. belonging or pertaining to one individual or group to the exclusion of all others; exclusive.

   the sole right to the estate.

4. functioning automatically or with independent power.

   the sole authority.

5. Chiefly Law. not married; unmarried.

6. without company or companions; lonely.

   the sole splendor of her life.

7. Archaic. alone.

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sole ² American  

[sohl] / soʊl /

noun

1. the bottom or under surface of the foot.

2. the corresponding under part of a shoe, boot, or the like, or this part exclusive of the heel.

3. the bottom, under surface, or lower part of anything.

4. Carpentry.

   1. the underside of a plane.

   2. soleplate.

5. Golf. the part of the head of the club that touches the ground.

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verb (used with object)

soled, soling

1. to furnish with a sole, as a shoe.

2. Golf. to place the sole of (a club) on the ground, as in preparation for a stroke.

sole ³ American  

[sohl] / soʊl /

noun

• sole,
  plural
• soles
  plural

1. a European flatfish, Solea solea, used for food.

2. any other flatfish of the families Soleidae and Cynoglossidae, having a hooklike snout.

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sole ¹ British  

/ səʊl /

noun

1. the underside of the foot

2. the underside of a shoe

3. 1. the bottom of a furrow

   2. the bottom of a plough

4. the underside of a golf-club head

5. the bottom of an oven, furnace, etc

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verb

1. to provide (a shoe) with a sole

2. golf to rest (the club) on the ground, as when preparing to make a stroke

sole ² British  

/ səʊl /

adjective

1. (prenominal) being the only one; only

2. (prenominal) of or relating to one individual or group and no other

   sole rights on a patent

3. law having no wife or husband See also feme sole

4. an archaic word for solitary

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sole ³ British  

/ səʊl /

noun

1. any tongue-shaped flatfish of the family Soleidae, esp Solea solea ( European sole ): most common in warm seas and highly valued as food fishes

2. any of certain other similar fishes

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• soleness
  noun
• soleless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sole
  plural
• soles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sole¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sol(e), soul(e) “unmarried, single, alone,” from Old French sol, sol(e), sul, from Latin sōlus “alone, on one's own, lonely”

Origin of sole²

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (noun) sole, sol(le), from Old French sole, sol(le), soul, from Vulgar Latin, Medieval Latin sola, from Latin solea “plain sandal (fastened with thongs); sole (fish); foundation (timber),” derivative of solum “base, floor, bottom”

Origin of sole³

First recorded in 1250–1300; see origin at sole ² ( def. )

Explanation

Sole means not shared with others. If it's your sole responsibility to make the chocolate cake for a party, it's all on you. Sole comes from the Latin solus, meaning "alone," and it can describe being the only person involved in something, like being the sole member of the Special People Club. As a noun, your sole is the bottom of your foot. If you order sole in a restaurant, you'll get a flat fish that looks like the bottom of your shoe. Although they sound alike, if you order the soul, the waitperson might send you to a church down the street.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sole soles soled soling

Defending Education, which sued UC in June 2026, is the sole plaintiff in the case.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

His sole memory from the trial is of his brother waving at him during the only day he attended the proceedings.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

Former High Court justice Simon Moore, who authored the report, was the sole member of the inquiry.

From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026

Beck is the sole producer, and his frequent collaborator Nigel Godrich, best known for his work with Radiohead, is credited with the mix.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

“The rubber sole helps you grip the terrain.”

From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

The soles of Hannah Cox's trainers tell their own story.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026

A decade ago, Nike created mysterious prototypes featuring giant soles and rigid interior plates that functioned like springs, unleashing the “super shoe” era across the sport.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026

She will re-glue the soles of her shoes so they last a little longer.

From Slate ● Apr. 19, 2026

However, the company failed to retain consumers for its other products, including flip-flops with sugarcane-based soles and wool leggings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2026

A pair of straw thongs that were purchased for 6.50 guilders were worn down to the soles within a week.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Then all you have to do is bend forward from the hips until your clubhead is soled behind the ball.

From Golf Digest ● Feb. 13, 2019

Early on, they were “skintight,” like a soled sock that crept up the leg.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2018

This is also where you buy your black plastic three-litre canteens and your electrolyte powder and the plimsolls soled with carpet that leave no prints.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 1, 2017

Any thinly soled sneakers or comfortable workout shoes will do.

From New York Times ● Jul. 8, 2011

He was downcast and burdened with self-approach when he stepped without noise from the colonel’s office on his rubber- soled and rubber-heeled brown shoes.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

But instead of soling the clubhead as usual, set it in front of the ball.

From Golf Digest ● Feb. 8, 2018

If you know naught of soling, I understand nothing of sausages; you, who cut bad leather on the slant to make it look stout and deceive the country yokels.

From The Eleven Comedies, Volume 1 by Aristophanes

The greater part of the next day Jerome passed, as usual, soling shoes in Ozias Lamb's shop.

From Jerome, A Poor Man A Novel by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman

The other evening while Ellen and I were developing films he was soling a pair of shoes.

From Three Years in Tristan da Cunha by Katherine Mary Barrow

"The boots want soling," cried the sick sailor in a deep voice.

From The House with the Mezzanine and Other Stories by Gilbert Cannan

Related Words

• exclusive
• lone
• one and only
• remaining