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
Related Words
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.
Not to offend our Lone Star friends, but so far this is all hat and no cattle.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
One was her boyfriend, Ortiz, who says he performed as the Lone Ranger, complete with mask and holstered six-shooters.
From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026
This week, he opened Lone Fox Los Angeles, a 7,000-square-foot bricks-and-mortar home store on La Brea Avenue in Mid-City that will have about 2,500 square feet of retail space across two floors.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Such is the case after last week’s Lone Star State balloting, in which 2.3 million Texans voted in the Democratic primary and 2.2 million in the Republican primary.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
“You. Jenna. You live on Lone Ranch Road, don’t you?”
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
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.
