solitude

[sol-i-tood, -tyood]

noun

1. the state of being or living alone; seclusion.

   to enjoy one's solitude.

   Synonyms: privacy, retirement

2. remoteness from habitations, as of a place; absence of human activity.

   the solitude of the mountains.

   Synonyms: loneliness

3. a lonely, unfrequented place.

   a solitude in the mountains.

   Synonyms: wilderness, desert

solitude

/ ˈsɒlɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. the state of being solitary or secluded

2. poetic,  a solitary place

Other Word Forms

• solitudinous adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of solitude¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin sōlitūdō. See soli- ¹, -tude

Word History and Origins

Origin of solitude¹

C14: from Latin sōlitūdō, from sōlus alone, _sole ¹

Synonym Study

Solitude, isolation refer to a state of being or living alone. Solitude emphasizes the quality of being or feeling lonely and deserted: to live in solitude. Isolation may mean merely a detachment and separation from others: to be put in isolation with an infectious disease.

Example Sentences

Gabriel has left London for the relative calm and solitude of the East Sussex countryside.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And so Michael Burry ended where he began—alone, and comforted by his solitude.

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This also doesn’t mean you should always prioritize socialization over solitude.

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Writing a novel is a lonely endeavor, one that requires thousands of hours in quiet solitude.

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Victor travels through Edinburgh, Perth and St Andrews to settle in Orkney, where he seeks the solitude and inspiration to build a second creature - a female companion for the vengeful one that follows him.

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Related Words

• emptiness 
• isolation 
• loneliness www.thesaurus.com
• seclusion 
• silence