solitary

[ sol-i-ter-ee ]
/ ˈsɒl ɪˌtɛr i /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR solitary ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun, plural sol·i·tar·ies.

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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

SYNONYMS FOR solitary

1 lone.
7 isolated, retired, sequestered, remote.
9, 10 hermit, recluse.
10 eremite.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR solitary ON THESAURUS.COM

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. 2020

Words related to solitary

lonely, lone, singular, solo, remote, separate, sole, individual, particular, stag, aloof, antisocial, cloistered, deserted, desolate, distant, forsaken, friendless, hidden, introverted

Example sentences from the Web for solitary

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