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solitary

/ˈsɑlɪˌtɛɹi/noun, adjective4 syllables

Solitary means: being the only one; single and isolated from others.

Synonyms for solitary34

noun, as in one who lives in solitude

hermit, recluse, solitudinarian, troglodyte

noun, as in confinement of a prisoner in isolation from other prisoners

solitary confinement

adjective, as in being the only one; single and isolated from others

lone, lonesome, only, sole, single

adjective, as in lacking companions or companionship

alone, lone, lonely, unaccompanied

adjective, as in characterized by or preferring solitude

lone, lonely, unsocial

adjective, as in of plants and animals; not growing or living in groups or colonies

nongregarious, nonsocial, ungregarious

adjective, as in devoid of creatures

lonely, unfrequented, uninhabited

also used for solitary

aloner, anchoret, anchorite, eremite, Miller of Dee, monk, shut-in, by oneself, on one's own, solo, deavely, unvisited, peopleless, wasteful, beingless

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What does solitary mean?7

adjective

1

being the only one; single and isolated from others“the lone doctor in the entire county”

2

lacking companions or companionship“he was alone when we met him”

3

characterized by or preferring solitude“a lone wolf”

4

of plants and animals; not growing or living in groups or colonies“solitary bees”

5

devoid of creatures“a lonely crossroads”

noun

1

one who lives in solitude

2

confinement of a prisoner in isolation from other prisoners“he was held in solitary”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Solitary in a sentence

  • If you are idle, be not solitary, if you are solitary, be not idle.blay_paul
  • After wandering aimlessly through the desert for months, we discovered a solitary oasis.marcelostockle
  • How the city sits solitary, that was full of people!rul
  • Cats are solitary hunters, but often live communally.rul
  • Now and then, a solitary leaf floats to the ground.sundown
  • Here and there, a solitary tree provided shade.sundown
  • Moose are solitary animals for the most part, except during the mating season.Amastan
  • A solitary birch tree stands on a wide plain in the winter wind.sundown

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of solitary

as a noun

plural
solitaries