solo

American  

[soh-loh] / ˈsoʊ loʊ /

noun

solos, plural soli plural

1. a musical composition or a passage or section in a musical composition written for performance by one singer or instrumentalist, with or without accompaniment.

   She sang a solo.

2. any performance, as a dance, by one person.

3. a flight in an airplane during which the pilot is unaccompanied by an instructor or other person.

   I'll be ready for my first solo next week.

4. a person who works, acts, or performs alone.

   He used to sing with a quartet, but now he's a solo.

5. a person who performs or accomplishes something without the usual equipment, tools, etc.

6. Informal. an announcement, commercial offering, etc., made to only one person or a selected group of such persons.

   Each month the firm sends a solo to its best customers.

7. Cards. any of certain games in which one person plays alone against others.

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adjective

1. Music. performing alone.

   a part for solo bassoon.

2. performed alone; not combined with other parts of equal importance; not concerted.

3. alone; without a companion or partner.

   a solo flight.

adverb

1. on one's own; alone or unaccompanied.

   After six lessons he was flying solo.

verb (used without object)

solos, present (3rd person singular) soloed, past participle, past soloing present participle

1. to perform or do a solo.

   to solo on the trumpet.

2. to pilot a plane, glider, etc., unaccompanied, especially for the first time.

   After the course the students should be able to solo.

3. to perform or accomplish something by oneself.

verb (used with object)

solos, present (3rd person singular) soloed, past participle, past soloing present participle

1. to pilot (a plane, glider, etc.) unaccompanied.

2. to allow (a student pilot) to pilot a plane, glider, etc., alone.

   The instructor decided to solo the student.

solo British  

/ ˈsəʊləʊ /

noun

1. a musical composition for one performer with or without accompaniment

2. any of various card games in which each person plays on his own instead of in partnership with another, such as solo whist

3. a flight in which an aircraft pilot is unaccompanied

4. 1. any performance, mountain climb, or other undertaking carried out by an individual without assistance from others

   2. ( as modifier )

      a solo attempt

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adjective

1. music unaccompanied

   a sonata for cello solo

adverb

1. by oneself; alone

   to fly solo

verb

1. (intr) to undertake a venture alone, esp to operate an aircraft alone or climb alone

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• soli
  plural
• solos
  plural

Participles

• soloing
  present
• soloed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• solo
  simple
• solos
  simple
• have soloed
  perfect
• has soloed
  perfect
• are soloing
  progressive
• am soloing
  progressive
• is soloing
  progressive
• have been soloing
  perfect progressive
• has been soloing
  perfect progressive

Past

• soloed
  simple
• had soloed
  perfect
• was soloing
  progressive
• were soloing
  progressive
• had been soloing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will solo
  simple
• will have soloed
  perfect
• will be soloing
  progressive
• will have been soloing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of solo

1685–95; < Italian < Latin sōlus alone

Explanation

A versatile word, solo means "alone" and can be used as a verb ("I get to solo in band today"), a noun ("She sang a beautiful solo"), or an adjective (I can't wait for my solo flight"). The word solo is often associated with a musical performance, from the Italian derivative from the Latin sōlum, "alone." Until the end of the 17th century, just the Latin form was used, usually in stage directions. Then it entered musical terminology, as sola, in 1695. The adjectival use developed in the 18th century, and in 1864 the form soloist, referring to one who performed a solo, first appeared. It wasn't until the mid-19th century that the word was used as a verb.

Example Sentences

Solo travelling, sleeping in a transit van and sharing rooms are all money-saving tricks used by lower-ranked players over the years.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

Solo agers, she said, must be intentional about understanding housing options, long-term-care costs and availability, often earlier than their peers with children.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Solo booths are often the highlight of these events, but group presentations also shine here.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

“Cuando lo sepa, vosotros lo sabréis. No lo sé. No tengo ni idea. Solo quiero vivir. Eso es todo”.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026

“Just like when she dropped that L-bomb after you left. I had to Han Solo her at first, but then I got real, which was very, very hard.”

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera