standalone

American  

[stand-uh-lohn] / ˈstænd əˌloʊn /

Or stand-alone

adjective

1. complete unto itself; not being or understood as part of a set, system, or series; self-contained: The studio doubted that this story would find an audience as a stand-alone film.

   Our aerospace degree plan is a standalone program, and not a division of the mechanical engineering department.

   The studio doubted that this story would find an audience as a stand-alone film.

2. Computers. able to operate without other hardware or software.

   There are several standalone apps you can use to add live captioning to your videos.

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noun

1. a single work that may be understood and appreciated without knowledge of other episodes, books, issues, etc..

   The author has taken a break from the series to put out two standalones just in time for the holidays.

2. Computers. a device or program that does not need other hardware or software to fully function.

   A decent VR rig for your PC won’t be any cheaper than a standalone.

Etymology

Origin of standalone

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The team produced the arsenic-73 using FRIB's ReA accelerator, which they operated in a standalone configuration rather than relying on the main linear accelerator.

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

Stena did not have any direct contact with the Iranians, he said, and would not pay any tolls "as a standalone company" or while there was no information from official channels.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

The property contains 16 villas with more than 100 bedrooms, as well as a standalone 10-acre estate set aside for high-end stays and brand activations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Cameron also emphasized the homes’ livability, noting that each unit is designed to feel more like a standalone residence than a traditional townhome.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

IOI’s intranet was a high-security, standalone network with no direct connections to the OASIS.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline