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

Novak Djokovic turned 39 last week and, having reached at least the semi-finals in each of the past five majors, has received a boost in his quest for an elusive standalone record 25th Grand Slam.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

These compressed, higher tax brackets mostly apply to irrevocable, “nongrantor” trusts rather than revocable trusts, because they are treated as separate, standalone taxpayers by the IRS.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

One standalone building, Yadin said, is planned as a future arts, community and workforce training center.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

In 1984, Mario Puzo published "The Sicilian", which is not a sequel to "The Godfather," but a standalone narrative about the Sicilian hero Salvatore Giuliano.

From Barron's • May 14, 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