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
Etymology
Origin of solitude
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin sōlitūdō. See soli- 1, -tude
Explanation
Solitude is the state of being alone. You might crave solitude after spending the holidays with your big, loud family — you want nothing more than to get away from everyone for a little while. Solitude can also refer to a place where you're completely alone. The middle of the woods, the top of a big mountain, the middle of a vast desert, even your room — these are places where you might go for solitude. Solitude comes from the Latin word solitudinem, which means "loneliness," but if you have moments of solitude that doesn't necessarily mean you're lonely. The word solitude carries the sense that you're enjoying being alone by choice.
Vocabulary lists containing solitude
List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Inside Out & Back Again
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Solitude is a familiar state for Montazeri, as he has been largely on his own since his parents separated when he was 15.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
In his ground-breaking novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Colombia's Nobel Prize-winning writer Gabriel García Márquez famously highlighted the massacre of workers on banana plantations in the country in the 1920s.
From BBC • May 18, 2025
The teaser opens with a shot of Corenswet’s Superman making a rough landing, somewhere in the Arctic that isn’t his presumably nearby Fortress of Solitude.
From Salon • Dec. 19, 2024
Solitude doesn’t have to mean loneliness: To a troubled soul, the climate and terrain can be like-minded companions of profound, tempestuous spirit.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2024
Along with my other favorite novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, I'd read it more times than I could count.
From "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour
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.
