solely

UK: /ˈsəʊlli/ US: (sōl′lē)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

sole•ly  (sōl′lē), adv. 

1. as the only one or ones:
   solely responsible.
2. exclusively or only:
   plants found solely in the tropics.
3. merely:
   She wanted solely to get out of the house for a while.

• sole¹ + -ly 1485–95

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

solely / ˈsəʊllɪ/ adverb

1. only; completely; entirely
2. without another or others; singly; alone
3. for one thing only

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

sole¹ /soʊl/   adj. [before a noun]

1. being the only one;
   only:
   the sole living relative.
2. belonging or relating to one individual or group and not to others;
   exclusive:
   sole right to the estate.

sole•ly, adv.: 

he did it solely through his own efforts.

See -sole-.

sole² /soʊl/   n., v., soled, sol•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. the undersurface of a foot.
2. Clothing the corresponding under part of a shoe or other footwear.

v. [~ + object]

3. Clothing to furnish with a sole.

sole³ /soʊl/   n. [countable] , pl. (esp. when thought of as a group) sole, (esp. for kinds or species) soles. 

1. Fish a kind of edible flatfish having a hooklike snout.
2. Fish the market name of any of various other flatfishes resembling the sole.

-sole-, root. 

1. -sole- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "only;
   alone.'' This meaning is found in such words as: desolate, desolation, sole, soliloquy, solipsism, solitaire, solitary, solitude, solo.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

sole¹  (sōl), adj. 

1. being the only one;
   only:
   the sole living relative.
2. being the only one of the kind;
   unique;
   unsurpassed;
   matchless:
   the sole brilliance of the gem.
3. belonging or pertaining to one individual or group to the exclusion of all others;
   exclusive:
   the sole right to the estate.
4. functioning automatically or with independent power:
   the sole authority.
5. Law [Chiefly Law.] unmarried.
6. without company or companions;
   lonely:
   the sole splendor of her life.
7. [Archaic.] alone.

• Latin sōlus
• Old French sol
• Latin sōlus alone; replacing Middle English soule alone
• 1350–1400

sole′ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. solitary.
• 2. individual.

sole²  (sōl), n., v., soled, sol•ing. 
n. 

1. the bottom or under surface of the foot.
2. Clothing the corresponding under part of a shoe, boot, or the like, or this part exclusive of the heel.
3. the bottom, under surface, or lower part of anything.
4. Building [Carpentry.]
   • the underside of a plane.
   • soleplate.
5. Sport [Golf.] the part of the head of the club that touches the ground.

v.t. 

6. Clothing to furnish with a sole, as a shoe.
7. Sport [Golf.] to place the sole of (a club) on the ground, as in preparation for a stroke.

• Latin solea sandal, sole, derivative of solum base, bottom
• Old French
• Middle English (noun, nominal) 1275–1325

sole′less, adj. 

sole³  (sōl), n., pl. (esp. collectively) sole,  (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) soles. 

1. Fish a European flatfish, Solea solea, used for food.
2. Fish any other flatfish of the families Soleidae and Cynoglossidae, having a hooklike snout.

• Vulgar Latin *sola (for Latin solea; see sole²), so called from its flat shape; compare Spanish suela, Italian soglia, Portuguese solha
• Old Provencal
• Middle French
• Middle English 1300–50