solitude

[ sol-i-tood, -tyood ]

/ ˈsɒl ɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR solitude ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the state of being or living alone; seclusion: to enjoy one's solitude.

remoteness from habitations, as of a place; absence of human activity: the solitude of the mountains.

a lonely, unfrequented place: a solitude in the mountains.

Nearby words

solitary tract, solitary vireo, solitary wasp, solitary wave, soliton, solitude, solitudinarian, sollar, solleret, sollicker, solmization

Origin of solitude

1325–75; Middle English < Middle French < Latin sōlitūdō. See soli-¹, -tude

SYNONYMS FOR solitude

1 retirement, privacy. 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.

2 loneliness.

3 desert, wilderness.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR solitude ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formssol·i·tu·di·nous

[sol-i-tood-n-uhs, -tyood-] /ˌsɒl ɪˈtud n əs, -ˈtyud-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for solitude

Perhaps some of that solitude and bitterness found its way into Alec Leamas.
The Stacks: How The Berlin Wall Inspired John le Carré’s First Masterpiece|John le Carré|November 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Dude is at his happiest when he has a few minutes of solitude and rest to get high and listen to whale sounds.
Dudes and Maudes Abide at New York City Lebowski Fest|Rich Goldstein|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Solitude activates the imagination, and invites introspection.
Pulling the Plug on English Departments|David Masciotra|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Gabriel García Márquez, dead at 87, wrote a lot of great fiction, but nothing greater than One Hundred Years of Solitude.
García Márquez Showed Us How Great Fiction Could Be|Malcolm Jones|April 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In that first sentence of One Hundred Years of Solitude, there are two mysteries: the firing squad and the ice.
García Márquez Showed Us How Great Fiction Could Be|Malcolm Jones|April 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He would consent to leave her;—but, as he thought of it in his solitude, his eyes became moist with regret.
The Prime Minister|Anthony Trollope
We parted and went our several ways, leaving the little cloisters to solitude and the ghosts that haunted them.
Glories of Spain|Charles W. Wood
Wine, lights, solitude in which to finish our game and a roaring good opportunity to sleep afterwards.
Dark Hollow|Anna Katherine Green
He looked anxiously about him as he spoke to make sure that the solitude was still undisturbed.
The Duke's Motto|Justin Huntly McCarthy
In the solitude of his legal sanctum, Richard Gilbert, with frowning brow and gloomy eyes, read this blighting epistle.
Norine's Revenge; Sir Noel's Heir|May Agnes Fleming

British Dictionary definitions for solitude

solitude

/ (ˈsɒlɪˌtjuːd) /

noun

the state of being solitary or secluded

poetic a solitary place

Derived Formssolitudinous, adjective

Word Origin for solitude

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

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

Word Origin and History for solitude

solitude

mid-14c., from Old French solitude "loneliness" (14c.) and directly from Latin solitudinem (nominative solitudo) "loneliness, a being alone; lonely place, desert, wilderness," from solus "alone" (see sole (adj.)). "Not in common use in English until the 17th c." [OED]

A man can be himself only so long as he is alone; ... if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom; for it is only when he is alone that he is really free. [Schopenhauer, "The World as Will and Idea," 1818]

Solitudinarian "recluse, unsocial person" is recorded from 1690s.

solitude

noun

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Origin of solitude

Examples from the Web for solitude

British Dictionary definitions for solitude

solitude

noun

Word Origin for solitude

Word Origin and History for solitude

solitude