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

Colicchio didn’t like the painful early mornings and solitude of being alone in his head in the water.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The first is “The Longest Way Home,” where I was trying to come to terms with getting married again, where I was asking, how do you maintain intimacy and preserve your inherent solitude?

From Los Angeles Times

“The book itself was written in solitude and edited in silence because I was trying to mentally travel back in time to 1980s and 1990s India,” Mahajan says.

From Los Angeles Times

The area has long drawn artists seeking space and solitude.

From Los Angeles Times

For me to give the respect to the character, that deserves a couple of hours of solace and solitude.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• emptiness
• isolation
• loneliness
• seclusion
• silence