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

The area has long drawn artists seeking space and solitude.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2026

Abeba describes a cycle of grief and friction - arguing with loved ones, quitting jobs, and crying in solitude.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

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

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

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 • Jan. 12, 2026

After years of living in the quiet solitude of the mountain, Pong had forgotten what it was like to see the artificial light of the orbs, hear their buzz, and smell their metallic tang.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Related Words

• emptiness
• isolation
• loneliness
• seclusion
• silence