alone

1 of 2

adjective

1
: separated from others : isolated
was alone in the office
2
: exclusive of anyone or anything else : only
She alone knows what happened.
3
a
: considered without reference to any other
The children alone would eat that much.
b
: incomparable, unique
They are alone among their contemporaries in this respect.
aloneness noun

alone

2 of 2

adverb

1
: solely, exclusively
The blame is mine alone.
2
: without aid or support
He said he could do it alone.
Choose the Right Synonym for alone

alone, solitary, lonely, lonesome, lone, forlorn, desolate mean isolated from others.

alone stresses the objective fact of being by oneself with slighter notion of emotional involvement than most of the remaining terms.

everyone needs to be alone sometimes

solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course

glorying in the calm of her solitary life

but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss.

left solitary by the death of his wife

lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship.

felt lonely and forsaken

lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy.

an only child often leads a lonesome life

lone may replace lonely or lonesome but typically is as objective as alone.

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear.

a forlorn lost child

desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement.

desolate after her brother's death

Examples of alone in a Sentence

Adjective This wine goes well with food, but is also very good alone. I got him alone and asked him what had really happened. She lived alone for many years. She doesn't mind being alone because she never feels lonely. He was alone with his thoughts. He felt very alone when he went away to school. Adverb The police believe the criminal acted alone. The price alone is enough to discourage people. The special effects alone make the movie worth seeing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The team measured the mice and rats’ response to an injection in the ankle, either around different experimenters or while alone in an empty room. Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 25 Sep. 2024 McGuire was alone and was wearing body armor when he was detained by authorities, according to Bonner. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 25 Sep. 2024
Adverb
While creating new affordable housing units is a part of the solution, new construction alone won't be able to keep up with the need, especially if communities are losing more units than are being created. Seth Gellis, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024 One charge of the cockpit-accessible lithium battery should reportedly be good for about three hours of runtime using electric power alone, or up to seven hours if the user helps out by pedaling. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for alone 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alone.' 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 al-one, alone, allone, from al, all all entry 2 + one one entry 1

Adverb

Middle English, derivative of al-one, alone alone entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near alone

Cite this Entry

“Alone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alone. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

alone

1 of 2 adjective
1
: separated from others
alone in her room
2
: not including anyone or anything else
money alone is not enough

alone

2 of 2 adverb
1
: solely sense 1
the proof rests on that statement alone
2
: without company, aid, or support
did it alone

More from Merriam-Webster on alone

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!