solitary
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).
a person who lives alone or in solitude, or avoids the society of others.
a person who lives in solitude from religious motives.
Origin of solitary
1Other words for solitary
Other words from solitary
- sol·i·tar·i·ly, adverb
- sol·i·tar·i·ness, noun
- un·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
Among those in the mix is one that would ban the use of solitary confinement.
As Virginia Democrats rein themselves in with bill limits, some legislators see lost opportunities | Laura Vozzella | November 29, 2020 | Washington PostIn staged battles between a trio of workers and a solitary soldier ant from a different species, Atta cephalotes, this mineral armor singlehandedly tipped the scale in the workers’ favor, the researchers say.
Mineral body armor helps some leaf-cutting ants win fights with bigger kin | Christie Wilcox | November 24, 2020 | Science NewsThat means solitary stays locked in hotel rooms overseas after long shifts on the flight deck, and occasionally lengthy enforced quarantines.
Cargo pilots increasingly falling ill with coronavirus, unions say, even as they prepare to help distribute vaccine | Ian Duncan | November 23, 2020 | Washington PostColugos were once thought to be solitary animals, Miard says.
On a cool night in Malaysia, scientists track mysterious colugos across the treetops | Yao-Hua Law | November 20, 2020 | Science NewsMy picks were private solitary escapes nestled in nature and accessible via car.
After Eight Weeks Cramped Inside An Apartment, I Escaped To The Catskills | Charli Penn | October 15, 2020 | Essence.com
The group encompasses Byrne's art-rock solitariness and the dissociation effects in the spare—somewhat Godardian—staging.
The Stacks: Pauline Kael's Talking Heads Obsession | Pauline Kael | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIndeed, lunching at any Club in solitariness that day, with Aminta away from home, was bitter penance.
Lord Ormont and his Aminta, Complete | George MeredithNothing gives more content than solitariness, no (p. 14) solitariness like this of a single life.
How to be Happy Though Married | E. J. Hardy.I have known men grow into a state of incurable idiocy after a few months' solitariness.
Grif | B. L. (Benjamin Leopold) FarjeonThey are much addicted to solitariness, and weary of company for the most part.
A Christian Directory (Volume 1 of 4) | Richard BaxterThis solitariness in the great unknown world dazed the child.
The Burning Secret | Stefan Zweig
British Dictionary definitions for solitary
/ (ˈsɒlɪtərɪ, -trɪ) /
following or enjoying a life of solitude: a solitary disposition
experienced or performed alone: a solitary walk
(of a place) unfrequented
(prenominal) single; sole: a solitary speck in the sky
having few companions; lonely
(of animals) not living in organized colonies or large groups: solitary bees; a solitary elephant Compare social (def. 7), gregarious (def. 2)
(of flowers) growing singly
a person who lives in seclusion; hermit; recluse
informal short for solitary confinement
Origin of solitary
1Derived forms of solitary
- solitarily, adverb
- solitariness, noun
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
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