solitary
Americanadjective
-
alone; without companions; unattended.
a solitary passer-by.
- Synonyms:
- lone
-
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.
adjective
-
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 Compare social gregarious
solitary bees
a solitary elephant
-
(of flowers) growing singly
noun
-
a person who lives in seclusion; hermit; recluse
-
informal short for solitary confinement
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of solitary
1300–50; Middle English < Latin sōlitārius alone, by itself, solitary, equivalent to sōlit ( ās ) solitude ( sōl ( us ) sole 1 + -itās -ity ) + -ārius -ary
Explanation
If you're a lone wolf, a one-man band, a rugged individualist, or an island unto yourself, you prefer to be solitary — in other words, alone or single. The term can be used to describe a person, a place, or a thing. Solitary comes to us from the Latin solus, which means alone. Note its similarity to words like solo and, for all you card players out there, solitaire. You can take a solitary walk, during which you don't utter a solitary word, but pause to admire a solitary green shoot peeping through the snow. Solitary is also common in the prison world: Inmates on Alcatraz who were deemed too dangerous to mingle with their fellows were put in solitary confinement cells.
Vocabulary lists containing solitary
Vocabulary from "Community is the 'killer app' missing from virtual reality" by Dmitri Williams
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
One could enjoy “Disclosure Day” as a solitary experience, or measure it against Spielberg’s body of work to explore an even deeper meaning.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
Earlier works often centered on solitary women posed with the self-possession of royal portraits or religious icons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
But they are willing to spend small amounts on services that make life feel warmer, easier, or less solitary.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
Rush has been held in solitary confinement, only allowed out for two hours a day.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Here and there a braid of smoke rises up from a hillside—a campesino and his family living out their solitary life.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Like everything these days, hermits exist on a wide spectrum and prefer a variety of identifiers: lovers of solitude, solitaries, contemplatives.
From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2020
He was one of the longest‑enduring solitaries in history, and among the most fervent as well.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 15, 2017
He never pitied or condescended to his solitaries; instead, he loved and understood them.
From New York Times ● Nov. 23, 2016
It’s the solitaries who interest her, the lurkers at the fringes.
From The New Yorker ● Dec. 12, 2011
He reflected sadly that those far-off solitaries could alone burst their circumstance and find their way out of it.
From Imaginary Interviews by Howells, William Dean
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
