solitude

American  

[sol-i-tood, -tyood] / ˈsɒl ɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /

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

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solitude British  

/ ˈsɒlɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. the state of being solitary or secluded

2. poetic a solitary place

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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

In tightly controlled Russia, her life is defined by solitude.

From Barron's

Now I would give anything for just five minutes of solitude in my half of the room.

From Literature

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

As he wrote to a neighbor, “I am alone, all alone in the Senate, in Congress, and almost in the United States. . . . In this solitude I must stand or fall.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The habit stuck, mostly because I enjoyed the solitude and the uninterrupted time to get work done before my three kids woke up.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• emptiness
• isolation
• loneliness
• seclusion
• silence