lone
Americanadjective
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being alone; without company or accompaniment; solitary; unaccompanied.
a lone traveler.
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standing by itself or apart; isolated.
a lone house in the valley.
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sole; single; only.
That company constitutes our lone competitor in the field.
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unmarried or widowed.
adjective
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unaccompanied; solitary
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single or isolated
a lone house
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a literary word for lonely
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unmarried or widowed
Synonym Usage
See alone.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lone
1325–75; Middle English; aphetic var of alone, used attributively
Explanation
Something described as lone is the only one of its kind — it's on its own. The lone child waiting for a ride home from school is the very last kid to be picked up. The lone tree in your yard is the only one growing there, and if your well is your lone source of water, it's the only way that water flows from the shower or the kitchen faucet. Sometimes lone is used to mean "lacking support," as when a state senator's vote is a lone voice in opposition to a proposed bill. If someone calls you a "lone wolf," they see you as someone who prefers acting alone.
Vocabulary lists containing lone
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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Commonly Confused Words, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s delivered in three-part harmony in the opening seconds of The Wonder’s lone pseudo-hit, gorgeous and unmissable.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
The first one was close to my home, but made me nervous: While the firm accepted clients regardless of account size, it was run by a lone adviser who was relatively new to the industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
Paris, host of the 2024 Olympics, was the lone exception.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Following a week of deliberations earlier this month, a Massachusetts jury told Sullivan they could not reach a verdict because of a lone holdout juror and a mistrial was declared on 4 September.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
She had no companions, and no obvious occupation, apart from that of stopping each and every lone traveler and each conveyance that passed through the Dyke and passing the time of day.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
