solitary
1sol·i·tary
adj \ˈsä-lə-ˌter-ē\Definition of SOLITARY
1
a : being, living, or going alone or without companions b : saddened by isolation
2
: unfrequented, desolate <a solitary seashore>
3
a : taken, passed, or performed without companions <a solitary ramble> b : keeping a prisoner apart from others <solitary confinement>
4
: being at once single and isolated <a solitary example>
5
a : occurring singly and not as part of a group or cluster <flowers terminal and solitary> b : not gregarious, colonial, social, or compound <solitary bees>
— sol·i·tar·i·ly \ˌsä-lə-ˈter-ə-lē\ adverb
— sol·i·tar·i·ness \ˈsä-lə-ˌter-ē-nəs\ noun
Examples of SOLITARY
- He took a solitary walk on the beach.
- A solitary house stood on top of the cliff.
- Most cats are solitary creatures.
- He's a very solitary man.
Origin of SOLITARY
Middle English, solitarie, from Anglo-French, from Latin solitarius, from solitas aloneness, from solus alone
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to SOLITARY
Antonyms: accompanied
Related Words: single, solo, unaccompanied, unattended; incomparable, inimitable, matchless, peerless, unequaled (or unequalled), unmatched, unparalleled, unrivaled (or unrivalled), unsurpassable, unsurpassed; distinct, distinctive, individual, separate; nonce
Near Antonyms: divers, manifold, multifarious, myriad; assorted, heterogenous, miscellaneous, mixed, motley, patchwork, promiscuous, varied; popular, prevailing, prevalent, rampant; perennial, recurrent, repeated
See Synonym Discussion at alone
Rhymes with SOLITARY
actuary, adversary, airy-fairy, ancillary, antiquary, apiary, arbitrary, aviary, axillary, bacillary, beriberi, bestiary, biliary, black raspberry, Bloody Mary, boysenberry, breviary, budgetary, calamari, calamary, candleberry, Canterbury, capillary, carpellary, cassowary, catenary, cautionary, cavitary, cemetery, centenary, certiorari, checkerberry, chinaberry, cometary, commentary, commissary, condottiere, coralberry, corollary, coronary, culinary, customary, dictionary, dietary, dignitary, dromedary, dysentery, elderberry, emissary, estuary, farkleberry, February, formulary, fragmentary, fritillary, functionary, funerary, honorary, huckleberry, intermarry, janissary, January, lamasery, lapidary, lectionary, legendary, legionary, lingonberry, literary, loganberry, luminary, mammillary, mandatary, maxillary, medullary, mercenary, miliary, military, millenary, milliary, millinery, missionary, momentary, monastery, mortuary, necessary, ordinary, ossuary, partridgeberry, pensionary, pigmentary, planetary, Pondicherry, prebendary, presbytery, pulmonary, quaternary, red mulberry, reliquary, rowanberry, salivary, salmonberry, salutary, sanctuary, sanguinary, sanitary, secondary, secretary, sedentary, seminary, silverberry, sour cherry, stationary, stationery, statuary, subcontrary, sublunary, sugarberry, sumptuary, syllabary, temporary, tertiary, thimbleberry, Tipperary, Tom and Jerry, topiary, tributary, tutelary, Typhoid Mary, unitary, urinary, vestiary, Virgin Mary, visionary, voluntary, vulnerary, Waterbury, whortleberry, winterberry
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