solitude
Americannoun
-
the state of being or living alone; seclusion.
to enjoy one's solitude.
- Synonyms:
- privacy, retirement
-
remoteness from habitations, as of a place; absence of human activity.
the solitude of the mountains.
- Synonyms:
- loneliness
-
a lonely, unfrequented place.
a solitude in the mountains.
- Synonyms:
- wilderness, desert
noun
-
the state of being solitary or secluded
-
poetic a solitary place
Related Words
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.
Other Word Forms
- solitudinous adjective
Etymology
Origin of solitude
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin sōlitūdō. See soli- 1, -tude
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.
The crew was asked by the Los Angeles Times about the 40 minutes of "profound solitude" when they lost contact with Earth.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
Even the things we do in pleasurable solitude can help us connect to one another.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
In tightly controlled Russia, her life is defined by solitude.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
Big Sur’s South Coast highway closure creates a rare window of solitude: empty beaches, dramatic cliffs and nearly empty trails for six months.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026
On Sundays they wandered among the velvet lawns of Washington Park and, if in the mood for solitude, the wind-blasted ridges of Jackson Park at the easternmost end of Sixty-third Street, on the lakeshore.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
