sole

1 of 4

adjective

1
a
: being the only one
she was her mother's sole support
b
: having no sharer
2
: functioning independently and without assistance or interference
let conscience be the sole judge
3
: belonging exclusively or otherwise limited to one usually specified individual, unit, or group
4
: not married
used chiefly of women
5
archaic : having no companion : solitary
soleness noun

sole

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: the undersurface of a foot
b
: the part of an item of footwear on which the sole rests and upon which the wearer treads
2
: the usually flat or flattened bottom or lower part of something or the base on which something rests
soled adjective

sole

3 of 4

verb

soled; soling

transitive verb

1
: to furnish with a sole
sole a shoe
2
: to place the sole of (a golf club) on the ground

sole

4 of 4

noun (2)

: any of various flatfishes (family Soleidae) having a small mouth, small or rudimentary fins, and small eyes placed close together and including important food fishes (such as the European Dover sole)
also : any of various mostly market flatfishes (such as lemon sole) of other families (such as Pleuronectidae)

Examples of sole in a Sentence

Adjective He became the sole heir to the property. The sole aim of the program is to help the poor. She was the sole survivor of the tragedy. Icy roads were the sole cause of the accident. He has sole jurisdiction of the area. Verb My shoes need to be soled.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Here’s yet another Bugatti, this one built back in 2010 for the sole purpose of securing the accolade of fastest production car ever built. Sean Evans, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 In 1926, when Fritz died, Lilly became its sole owner. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 McConnell remains the sole holdout among top leadership. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2024 The law instructed the Department of General Services to establish a task force with the sole purpose of implementing, monitoring and evaluating the state’s telework program. Maya Miller, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 On the latter, Linkin Park pulls into sole possession of the sixth-most top 10s in the chart’s 35-year history. Kevin Rutherford, Billboard, 1 Mar. 2024 No Please list your highlights of civic involvement Long time member of multiple civic organizations whose sole purpose is for the betterment of the lives of Men / Women / and more especially children of Gaston County and surrounding communities. Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 The Cardinal needs one more win to clinch sole possession of first place, while the Beavers are at risk of dropping out of the top four and playing in the opening round of the Pac-12 tournament. Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2024 There were a total of nine adult males in the accident, and there is one sole survivor who suffered major injuries and was taken to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno, per Ruvalcaba. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024
Noun
Lightweight with a non-slip rubber sole, these smileys are made for comfort after a long day at school, work, or sports practice. Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2024 These raw Wedges can be customized and personalized with the player's preferred sole grinds, leading edge shape, and more. Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2024 The rubber sole also has traction to enhance stability. Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 13 Jan. 2024 The platform sole and the leather upper three-strap design will keep my feet comfy. Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 14 Feb. 2024 With a wooden sole, good arch support, and a cushioned footbed, clogs are designed to be functional and protective — all without compromising style. Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024 The heavy lug sole offers some traction and stability on slippery or snowy surfaces. Calin Van Paris, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024 Another winning feature is the substantial firm rubber sole that provides ample traction in all types of weather and terrain. Jean Chen Smith, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2024 The sole is made from a light foam that is soft to walk on, which is ideal for spending long stretches of time on concrete. Megan Dubois, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2024
Verb
Rubber soled and perfect for a boat my favorite espadrille maker is famed Spanish house, Castañer. Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, alone, from Anglo-French sul, soul, seul, from Latin solus

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French sole, soele, from Latin solea sandal; akin to Latin solum base, ground, soil

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin solea sandal, a flatfish

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sole was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near sole

Cite this Entry

“Sole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sole. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sole

1 of 4 noun
1
: the underside of a foot
2
: the part of footwear on which the sole of the foot rests
soled
ˈsōld
adjective

sole

2 of 4 verb
soled; soling
: to furnish with a sole
sole shoes

sole

3 of 4 noun
: any of various flatfishes that have a small mouth, small fins, and small closely set eyes and that include some fishes used for food

sole

4 of 4 adjective
1
archaic : having no companion : alone
2
a
: having no sharer
sole owner
b
: being the only one
3
: acting independently and without assistance or interference
the sole judge
4
: belonging only to the one person, unit, or group named
given sole authority
soleness noun
Etymology

Noun

Middle English sole "the underside of the foot or shoe," from early French sole (same meaning), from Latin solea "sandal"

Noun

Middle English sole "a type of flatfish," from early French sole (same meaning), from Latin solea "sandal, a flatfish"

Adjective

Middle English sole "alone," from early French seul (same meaning), from Latin solus "alone" — related to desolate, solitude, solo

Medical Definition

sole

noun
1
: the undersurface of a foot
2
: the somewhat concave plate of moderately dense horn that covers the lower surface of the coffin bone of the horse, partly surrounds the frog, and is bounded externally by the wall

Legal Definition

sole

adjective
: belonging exclusively or otherwise limited to one usually specified individual, unit, or group

More from Merriam-Webster on sole

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