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
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(of a place) unfrequented
-
(prenominal) single; sole
a solitary speck in the sky
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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:
Rights groups, however, have criticised authorities for leaving death-row inmates in solitary confinement for long periods of time, and also pointed to a lack of transparency as to when executions are carried out.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Many wild bees, including bumblebees and solitary bees, provide pollen directly to their offspring.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
The judge erred in finding there was a substantial chance Patterson would be held in solitary confinement for years to come, and this "infected" his decision, the prosecution argued.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Prison staff reportedly separated the two men and Combs was placed in solitary confinement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
A long, solitary wail went up from somebody towards the middle of the congregation.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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
As Chaplin realized, it swarmed with solitaries, all of them dreaming, like dragons, of a private hoard.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 14, 2018
But I found out about a newsletter run by a couple in the Carolinas aimed at solitaries and, after posting an ad there, began writing to a few.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 6, 2017
He never pitied or condescended to his solitaries; instead, he loved and understood them.
From New York Times ● Nov. 23, 2016
This drew great multitudes to him, and he erected many monasteries in Syria, and trained up holy solitaries.
From The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints January, February, March by Alban Butler
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.
