Dictionary.com

alone

[ uh-lohn ]
/ əˈloʊn /
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See synonyms for: alone / aloneness on Thesaurus.com

adjective (used predicatively)
separate, apart, or isolated from others: I want to be alone.
to the exclusion of all others or all else: One cannot live by bread alone.
unique; unequaled; unparalleled: He is alone among his peers in devotion to duty.
adverb
solitarily; solo: She prefers to live alone.
only; exclusively: You alone hold the key to your happiness.
without aid or help: The baby let go of the side of the crib and stood alone.
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Idioms about alone

Origin of alone

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English al one all (in the sense “wholly”) one

synonym study for alone

1. Alone, lone, lonely, lonesome all imply being without companionship or association. Alone is colorless unless reinforced by all; it then suggests solitariness or desolation: alone in the house; all alone on an island. Lone is somewhat poetic or is intended humorously: a lone sentinel. Lonely implies a sad or disquieting feeling of isolation. Lonesome connotes emotion, a longing for companionship.

usage note for alone

7, 9. See leave1.

OTHER WORDS FROM alone

a·lone·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alone in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for alone

alone
/ (əˈləʊn) /

adjective, adverb (postpositive)

Word Origin for alone

Old English al one, literally: all (entirely) one
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with alone

alone

see go it alone; leave someone alone; leave well enough alone; let alone.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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