sole

¹ American  

[sohl] / soʊl /

adjective

1. being the only one; only.

   the sole living relative.

   Synonyms:

   solitary

2. being the only one of the kind; unsurpassed; unique; matchless.

   the sole brilliance of the gem.

   Synonyms:

   individual

3. belonging or pertaining to one individual or group to the exclusion of all others; exclusive.

   the sole right to the estate.

4. functioning automatically or with independent power.

   the sole authority.

5. Chiefly Law. not married; unmarried.

6. without company or companions; lonely.

   the sole splendor of her life.

7. Archaic. alone.

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sole ² American  

[sohl] / soʊl /

noun

1. the bottom or under surface of the foot.

2. the corresponding under part of a shoe, boot, or the like, or this part exclusive of the heel.

3. the bottom, under surface, or lower part of anything.

4. Carpentry.

   1. the underside of a plane.

   2. soleplate.

5. Golf. the part of the head of the club that touches the ground.

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verb (used with object)

soled, soling

1. to furnish with a sole, as a shoe.

2. Golf. to place the sole of (a club) on the ground, as in preparation for a stroke.

sole ³ American  

[sohl] / soʊl /

noun

sole, plural soles plural

1. a European flatfish, Solea solea, used for food.

2. any other flatfish of the families Soleidae and Cynoglossidae, having a hooklike snout.

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sole ¹ British  

/ səʊl /

noun

1. the underside of the foot

2. the underside of a shoe

3. 1. the bottom of a furrow

   2. the bottom of a plough

4. the underside of a golf-club head

5. the bottom of an oven, furnace, etc

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verb

1. to provide (a shoe) with a sole

2. golf to rest (the club) on the ground, as when preparing to make a stroke

sole ² British  

/ səʊl /

adjective

1. (prenominal) being the only one; only

2. (prenominal) of or relating to one individual or group and no other

   sole rights on a patent

3. law having no wife or husband See also feme sole

4. an archaic word for solitary

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sole ³ British  

/ səʊl /

noun

1. any tongue-shaped flatfish of the family Soleidae, esp Solea solea ( European sole ): most common in warm seas and highly valued as food fishes

2. any of certain other similar fishes

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• soleness
  noun
• soleless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sole
  plural
• soles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sole¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English sol(e), soul(e) “unmarried, single, alone,” from Old French sol, sol(e), sul, from Latin sōlus “alone, on one's own, lonely”

Origin of sole²

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (noun) sole, sol(le), from Old French sole, sol(le), soul, from Vulgar Latin, Medieval Latin sola, from Latin solea “plain sandal (fastened with thongs); sole (fish); foundation (timber),” derivative of solum “base, floor, bottom”

Origin of sole³

First recorded in 1250–1300; see origin at sole ² ( def. )

Explanation

Sole means not shared with others. If it's your sole responsibility to make the chocolate cake for a party, it's all on you. Sole comes from the Latin solus, meaning "alone," and it can describe being the only person involved in something, like being the sole member of the Special People Club. As a noun, your sole is the bottom of your foot. If you order sole in a restaurant, you'll get a flat fish that looks like the bottom of your shoe. Although they sound alike, if you order the soul, the waitperson might send you to a church down the street.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sole soles soled soling

Democrat Frederick Haynes III, who is running to replace Rep. Jasmine Crockett in her Dallas district, is the sole potential incoming member who has not filed a financial disclosure.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

That blast was also Muncy’s 229th as a Dodger, moving him into sole possession of No. 5 on the franchise’s all-time list.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Somehow, they have become the sole experts on all subjects, from air pollution to monetary policy to human biology.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

China’s data docket is light, with Monday’s loan prime-rate announcement the sole major event of note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

There was a silence while Grandpa struck a match on the sole of his shoe, put it to the cigar, and changed the subject.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

The shoes sport chunky soles with rigid, curved carbon plates and lightweight foam, and Nike asserts they improve running economy by as much as 4%.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026

Each hub brought together suppliers of laces, soles and fabric, as well as logistics firms that help to quickly turn designs into store-ready products and ship them out.

From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026

She will re-glue the soles of her shoes so they last a little longer.

From Slate ● Apr. 19, 2026

Then picture adding sugar cane soles, calling them eco-friendly sneakers, becoming a Silicon Valley status symbol, and going public in 2021 with a market value that briefly topped $4 billion.

From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026

It opened silently, and as she stepped in, she felt Pet’s presence accumulate, the loudness of it growling through the floorboards and into the soles of her feet.

From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi

Then all you have to do is bend forward from the hips until your clubhead is soled behind the ball.

From Golf Digest ● Feb. 13, 2019

Early on, they were “skintight,” like a soled sock that crept up the leg.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2018

This is also where you buy your black plastic three-litre canteens and your electrolyte powder and the plimsolls soled with carpet that leave no prints.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 1, 2017

Any thinly soled sneakers or comfortable workout shoes will do.

From New York Times ● Jul. 8, 2011

The robot rose erect smoothly and his thickly sponge-rubber soled feet made no noise as he followed Powell.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov

But instead of soling the clubhead as usual, set it in front of the ball.

From Golf Digest ● Feb. 8, 2018

Oak sole leather, the foreman said, was often considered preferable for soling shoes because its close fibre rendered it waterproof, and it seldom cracked.

From The Story of Leather by Bassett, Sara Ware

"The boots want soling," cried the sick sailor in a deep voice.

From The House with the Mezzanine and Other Stories by Cannan, Gilbert

What do you think I was charged for soling and heeling shoes?

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 156, February 12, 1919 by Various

The other evening while Ellen and I were developing films he was soling a pair of shoes.

From Three Years in Tristan da Cunha by Barrow, Katherine Mary

Related Words

• exclusive
• lone
• one and only
• remaining