solitary

UK: /ˈsɒlɪtəri/ US: /ˈsɑlɪˌtɛri/ ,(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/   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. 

7. [countable] one who lives alone or in solitude.
8. 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), 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. Zoology living habitually alone or in pairs, as certain wasps. Cf. social (def. 10).

n. 

9. a person who lives alone or in solitude, or avoids the society of others.
10. a person who lives in solitude from religious motives.
11. 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. 
Synonyms

• 1. lone.
• 7. isolated, retired, sequestered, remote.
• 9, 10. hermit, recluse.
• 10. eremite.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

solitary / ˈsɒlɪtərɪ -trɪ/ adjective

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 social7, gregarious2
7. (of flowers) growing singly

noun ( -taries)

1. a person who lives in seclusion; hermit; recluse
2. 
   short for solitary confinement

Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin sōlitārius, from sōlus sole¹

ˈsolitarily adverb

ˈsolitariness noun