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No man is an island

Cultural  
  1. No one is self-sufficient; everyone relies on others. This saying comes from a sermon by the seventeenth-century English author John Donne.


no man is an island Idioms  
  1. Human beings necessarily depend on one another, as in You can't manage this all by yourself; no man is an island. This expression is a quotation from John Donne's Devotions (1624): “No man is an Island, entire of it self; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main.”


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.

Donald Trump is that rare exception to the rule, no man is an island.

From Salon • Aug. 5, 2023

In a pandemic, no man is an island.

From Washington Post • May 15, 2020

“They say no man is an island, but me and my brothers, we’ve always felt like we’re an island,” says Sheridan, who lives in the Houston suburb of Richmond, Texas.

From Washington Times • Apr. 12, 2020

But, like anyone mature enough to know that no man is an island, Allen paints a picture of himself by way of the relationships that have shaped him.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 16, 2019

And no man is an island unto himself....

From By Earthlight by Walton, Bryce