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
The sole purpose of the post was meant to be inspirational. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 18 Mar. 2024 But should ignoring crying babies be a governing principle in a business where their sole function is to take care of babies and children? Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 But should ignoring crying babies be a governing principle in a business where the sole function is to take care of babies and children? Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 Nicki Minaj gave an exhilarating headlining performance on March 15, taking the stage for an almost-hour set that brought Gag City to Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. Minaj, who is currently on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour, logged her sole L.A. show on the trek at Rolling Loud. Thania Garcia, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 Alt reports that Negishi’s family watches over the sole remaining, and still functioning, Sparko Box. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 15 Mar. 2024 The song earned him his sole Grammy nomination when the soundtrack competed for Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture. Taylor Romine, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Even when the internet rolled around, many librarians felt they were supposed to be the sole gatekeepers of knowledge and information. Diba Mohtasham, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 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
Noun
Yes, these are technically slippers, but the platform sole gives them the look of a stylish clog. Nykia Spradley, Glamour, 19 Mar. 2024 These slippers have all the components teens love: that soft wool lining, a water- and stain-resistant suede outside, and of course, the rubber sole. Chaunie Brusie, Rn, Parents, 13 Mar. 2024 On him: Dries Van Noten brown linen, viscose, and silk coat, $2,385; Ralph Lauren Purple Label white cotton and silk henley shirt, $395; Giorgio Armani cognac linen pants, $2,095, and brown leather belt, $425; Hermès black sandals with notched sole in liquorice cotton serge and calfskin, $920. Alex Badia, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2024 Lug sole provides 1 ⅔ inches of lift that feels more comfortable to walk in than traditional heels. Calin Van Paris, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024 The shoe has heavier tread and a hard rubber sole that grips better than a regular running shoe. Maria L. La Ganga, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 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
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 28 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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