solitary

[ sol-i-ter-ee ]

/ ˈsɒl ɪˌtɛr i /

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See synonyms for: solitary / solitaries / solitarily / solitariness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

alone; without companions; unattended: a solitary passer-by.

living alone; avoiding the society of others: a solitary existence.

by itself; alone: one solitary house.

characterized by the absence of companions: a solitary journey.

done without assistance or accompaniment; done in solitude: solitary chores.

being the only one: a solitary exception.

characterized by solitude, as a place; unfrequented, secluded, or lonely: a solitary cabin in the woods.

Zoology. living habitually alone or in pairs, as certain wasps.Compare social (def. 11).

noun, plural sol·i·tar·ies.

a person who lives alone or in solitude, or avoids the society of others.

a person who lives in solitude from religious motives.

solitary confinement.

OTHER WORDS FOR solitary

1 lone.

7 isolated, retired, sequestered, remote.

9, 10 hermit, recluse.

10 eremite.

See synonyms for solitary on Thesaurus.com

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…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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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

They also clarify the stakes of his study by showing that our predicament, and the resources for understanding it and withstanding it, involve living, breathing humans in community, not abstract principles or solitary saviors.
Delusions, justice, accountability and freedom in America|Paul Taylor|December 18, 2020|Washington Post
However, because the open design allows sound to leak out, the listening experience is not private and therefore is only ideal for at-home or solitary use.
Best headphones: Get good-quality audio equipment at your budget|PopSci Commerce Team|December 17, 2020|Popular-Science
Of course, price aside, you’d also need to find room for a boatload of solar cells from 1956 to equal the output of that single, solitary modern panel.
Why the Price of New Solar Electricity Fell an Incredible 89% in the Last Decade|Jason Dorrier|December 13, 2020|Singularity Hub
American woodcocks are iconic little solitary shorebirds that live in forests and constantly bob while they walk, and they’re rarely seen out west.
How eBird Changed Birding Forever|Jessie Williamson|December 4, 2020|Outside Online

Then Tye and Matthews isolated the same mice again, this time using optogenetics to silence the DRN neurons after the period in solitary.
Why do you feel lonely? Neuroscience is starting to find answers.|Amy Nordrum|September 4, 2020|MIT Technology Review
One forenoon, whilst I was sitting solitarily in my little chamber, this friendly man stood before me for the first time.
The True Story of My Life|Hans Christian Andersen
"Purgatory" is a mountain rising solitarily from the ocean on that side of the earth which is opposite to us.
Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol 1|The Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D.
He breakfasted very early, and dined solitarily, and at uncertain hours, as business permitted.
Uncle Silas|J. S. LeFanu
And she, wandering solitarily in the hall, had no doubt sat down beside a screen that had Edward and Florence on the other side.
The Good Soldier|Ford Madox Ford
But Jean Merle was living, and might continue to live another twenty years or more, thus solitarily and monotonously.
Cobwebs and Cables|Hesba Stretton

British Dictionary definitions for solitary

solitary

/ (ˈsɒlɪtərɪ, -trɪ) /

adjective

following or enjoying a life of solitudea solitary disposition

experienced or performed alonea solitary walk

(of a place) unfrequented

(prenominal) single; solea solitary speck in the sky

having few companions; lonely

(of animals) not living in organized colonies or large groupssolitary bees; a solitary elephant Compare social (def. 7), gregarious (def. 2)

(of flowers) growing singly

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

solitary

OTHER WORDS FOR solitary

Origin of solitary

OTHER WORDS FROM solitary

Words related to solitary

How to use solitary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for solitary

Derived forms of solitary

Word Origin for solitary