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

1. He took a solitary walk on the beach.
2. A solitary house stood on top of the cliff.
3. Most cats are solitary creatures.
4. 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

Synonyms: alone, lone, one, one-off, singular, sole, only, special, sui generis, unique

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 all synonyms and antonyms

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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