lone

American  

[lohn] / loʊn /

adjective

1. being alone; without company or accompaniment; solitary; unaccompanied.

   a lone traveler.

2. standing by itself or apart; isolated.

   a lone house in the valley.

   Synonyms:

   secluded, separate

3. sole; single; only.

   That company constitutes our lone competitor in the field.

4. unfrequented.

5. without companionship; lonesome; lonely.

6. unmarried or widowed.

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lone British  

/ ləʊn /

adjective

1. unaccompanied; solitary

2. single or isolated

   a lone house

3. a literary word for lonely

4. unmarried or widowed

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Related Words

See alone.

Other Word Forms

• loneness noun

Etymology

Origin of lone

1325–75; Middle English; aphetic var of alone, used attributively

Example Sentences

Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon,” which will compete in the best musical or comedy category at the Golden Globes, zoomed in on a lone night in the life of Broadway lyricist Lorenz Hart.

From The Wall Street Journal

When a lone professor voiced a dissenting view, the school reacted in the manner of an immune system greeting a foreign pathogen.

From The Wall Street Journal

Normally, the Israel Prize is reserved for Israeli citizens or residents, with the lone loophole being a category for "special contribution to the Jewish people."

From Barron's

Think frittatas or egg bakes, perfect for dispatching vegetable scraps, wilting herbs, bits of cheese or that lone slice of bacon that’s been begging for a job.

From Salon

Robertson was a key figure in Forest's back-to-back European Cup final triumphs, the Scotland winger setting up Trevor Francis' goal against Malmo in 1979 and scoring the lone goal himself the following year against Hamburg.

From Barron's

Related Words

• lonely
• sole
• solitary