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

plural

sole,

plural

soles

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

• soleless
  adjective
• soleness
  noun

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

Last month, UBS analyst Jay Sole argued that investors weren’t fully appreciating the positive impact AI will have on retailers, as he sees it increasing sales without a commensurate rise in costs.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Lindsey Heaps had her seventh-minute opener disallowed by referee Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, who believed Ingrid Engen and Ada Hegerberg were in an offside position in front of Arsenal keeper Daphne van Domselaar.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

“The point is Nike’s superpower is based in part on being able to maintain an image of being the best sports brand despite selling a lot of commodity products,” Sole wrote.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

At Brown, he also wrote and edited for multiple campus newspapers and founded a creative nonfiction publication called Sole Magazine.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

Alice Sole, sixty-three years old, struggled into the kitchen where her son-in-law sat.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• exclusive
• lone
• one and only
• remaining