VOOZH about

URL: https://www.wordreference.com/definition/solitary

⇱ solitary - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

solitary

Listen:
UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈsɒlɪtəri/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈsɑlɪˌtɛri/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(sol′i ter′ē)

Inflections of 'solitary' (n): npl: solitaries

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
sol•i•tar•y /ˈsɑlɪˌtɛri/USA pronunciation   adj., n., pl. -tar•ies. 
adj. 
  1. without companions;
    sole:[before a noun]a solitary passerby.
  2. by itself;
    singular:[before a noun]one solitary house.
  3. being the only one:[before a noun]a solitary exception.
  4. avoiding the society of others:a solitary existence.
  5. marked by the absence of companions:a solitary journey.
  6. far away from others;
    secluded:a solitary cabin in the woods.

n. 
  1. [countable] one who lives alone or in solitude.
  2. Also, ˈsol•iˌtar•y conˈfine•ment. imprisonment without contact with another person:[uncountable]a few months in solitary.
See -sole-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
sol•i•tar•y  (sol′i ter′ē),USA pronunciation adj., n., pl. -tar•ies. 
adj. 
  1. alone;
    without companions;
    unattended:a solitary passer-by.
  2. living alone;
    avoiding the society of others:a solitary existence.
  3. by itself;
    alone:one solitary house.
  4. characterized by the absence of companions:a solitary journey.
  5. done without assistance or accompaniment;
    done in solitude:solitary chores.
  6. being the only one:a solitary exception.
  7. characterized by solitude, as a place;
    unfrequented, secluded, or lonely:a solitary cabin in the woods.
  8. Zoologyliving habitually alone or in pairs, as certain wasps. Cf. social (def. 10).

n. 
  1. a person who lives alone or in solitude, or avoids the society of others.
  2. a person who lives in solitude from religious motives.
  3. See solitary confinement. 
  • Latin sōlitārius alone, by itself, solitary, equivalent. to sōlit(ās) solitude (sōl(us) sole1 + -itās -ity) + -ārius -ary
  • Middle English 1300–50
sol′i•tar′i•ly, adv. 
sol′i•tar′i•ness, n. 
    1. lone. 7. isolated, retired, sequestered, remote. 9. 10. hermit, recluse. 10. eremite.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
solitary /ˈsɒlɪtərɪ; -trɪ/ adj
  1. following or enjoying a life of solitude: a solitary disposition
  2. experienced or performed alone: a solitary walk
  3. (of a place) unfrequented
  4. (prenominal) single; sole: a solitary speck in the sky
  5. having few companions; lonely
  6. (of animals) not living in organized colonies or large groups: solitary bees, a solitary elephant
    Compare social, gregarious
  7. (of flowers) growing singly
 n ( pl -taries)
  1. a person who lives in seclusion; hermit; recluse
  2. informal
    short for solitary confinement
Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin sōlitārius, from sōlus sole1ˈsolitarily adv ˈsolitariness n
'solitary' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

🗣️Forum discussions with the word(s) "solitary" in the title:

a casino and solitary star
A slang term for 'solitary cell'
Albatross live solitary lives far out to sea
aloof, solitary
crocodiles as kind of solitary
get a real taste for solitary outings
happy while languishing in solitary confinement
He remained a solitary character
I am solitary as grass
I cannot [tell] what sentiment haunted the quite solitary churchyard
lived solitary
lonely/solitary
miser:stingy :: loner:solitary
My belief is, and has always been, () without a solitary button on her gown.
pronunciation: first syllable in Solitary and Salt
random vs solitary
Recluse vs reclusive person vs solitary person
solitary
solitary
solitary grave
solitary spot
solitary, solitude
solitary/alone/lone
Solitude, Solitary, Solitarily
that child, living quite solitary
that of a solitary being seeking harmony with the world
the cockney tongue wagging in its solitary strain
The first solitary spats
the <solitary> neighbor [Bronte]
the sound of solitary, childish glee [of] a bright runner
more...

Look up "solitary" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "solitary" at dictionary.com
  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | Romanian | German | Dutch | Swedish | Russian | Polish | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic

Advertisements
Advertisements
Report an inappropriate ad.
WordReference.com
WORD OF THE DAY
GET THE DAILY EMAIL!
Become a WordReference Supporter to view the site ad-free.
Firefox users: use search shortcuts for the fastest search of WordReference.
Copyright © 2026 WordReference.com
Please report any problems.