solitary
Americanadjective
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alone; without companions; unattended.
a solitary passer-by.
- Synonyms:
- lone
-
living alone; avoiding the society of others.
a solitary existence.
-
by itself; alone.
one solitary house.
-
characterized by the absence of companions.
a solitary journey.
-
done without assistance or accompaniment; done in solitude.
solitary chores.
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being the only one.
a solitary exception.
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characterized by solitude, as a place; unfrequented, secluded, or lonely.
a solitary cabin in the woods.
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Zoology. living habitually alone or in pairs, as certain wasps.
adjective
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following or enjoying a life of solitude
a solitary disposition
-
experienced or performed alone
a solitary walk
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(of a place) unfrequented
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(prenominal) single; sole
a solitary speck in the sky
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having few companions; lonely
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(of animals) not living in organized colonies or large groups Compare social gregarious
solitary bees
a solitary elephant
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(of flowers) growing singly
noun
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a person who lives in seclusion; hermit; recluse
-
informal short for solitary confinement
Other Word Forms
- solitarily adverb
- solitariness noun
- unsolitary adjective
Etymology
Origin of solitary
1300–50; Middle English < Latin sōlitārius alone, by itself, solitary, equivalent to sōlit ( ās ) solitude ( sōl ( us ) sole 1 + -itās -ity ) + -ārius -ary
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.
She said she understood her landlord's thinking, but felt she was seriously disadvantaged as a single mum-of-three with a solitary income.
From BBC
“I love writers. I’m not one because it’s too solitary, but they’re my favorite people to be with.”
From Los Angeles Times
In solitary old age, Ondro has finally accepted his sorrowful calling as the memory keeper of the men who died.
The poet appealed to Hallam’s imaginative depths, and Hallam brought the unkempt and solitary Tennyson into the world of the elite and affluent.
Crumbling houses line the streets, watched over by a solitary clock tower.
From Barron's
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.
