Dictionary.com

solitary

[ sol-i-ter-ee ]
/ ˈsɒl ɪˌtɛr i /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: solitary / solitaries / solitarily / solitariness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
noun, plural sol·i·tar·ies.

OTHER WORDS FOR solitary

1 lone.
7 isolated, retired, sequestered, remote.
9, 10 hermit, recluse.
10 eremite.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

Origin of solitary

1300–50; Middle English <Latin sōlitārius alone, by itself, solitary, equivalent to sōlit(ās) solitude (sōl(us) sole1 + -itās-ity) + -ārius-ary

OTHER WORDS FROM solitary

sol·i·tar·i·ly, adverbsol·i·tar·i·ness, nounun·sol·i·tar·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use solitary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for solitary

solitary
/ (ˈsɒlɪtərɪ, -trɪ) /

adjective
noun plural -taries
a person who lives in seclusion; hermit; recluse
informal short for solitary confinement

Derived forms of solitary

solitarily, adverbsolitariness, noun

Word Origin for solitary

C14: from Latin sōlitārius, from sōlus sole 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK