solitary

adjective

sol·i·tary | \ ˈsä-lə-ˌter-ē

Definition of solitary

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : being, living, or going alone or without companions

b : saddened by isolation

2 : unfrequented, desolate a solitary seashore

3a : 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

5a : occurring singly and not as part of a group or cluster flowers terminal and solitary

b : not gregarious, colonial, social, or compound solitary bees

solitary

noun

plural solitaries

Definition of solitary (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : one who lives or seeks to live a solitary life : recluse

2 : solitary confinement in prison put him in solitary

Other Words from solitary Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about solitary

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Other Words from solitary

Adjective

solitarily \ ˌsä-lə-ˈter-ə-lē

\ adverb

solitariness \ ˈsä-lə-ˌter-ē-nəs

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for solitary

Adjective

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 solitary in a Sentence

Adjective

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.

Noun

The prisoner was kept in solitary. weary of European civilization, the painter Paul Gauguin famously abandoned France to become a solitary in the South Seas

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Thousands of immigrants in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been subjected to solitary confinement, according to a report on government documents and data. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "ICE Is Holding LGBTQ and Disabled Detainees in Solitary Confinement, Report Says," 23 May 2019 Turkish prosecutors on Monday said wardens had found the suspect, identified as Zaki Y.M. Hassan, hanged inside his solitary cell in Istanbul’s Silivri prison and had ordered an investigation into his death. — David Gauthier-villars, WSJ, "Suspected U.A.E. Spy Found Dead in Turkish Jail," 29 Apr. 2019 Her lab began turning up gene after gene once thought to be exclusive to complex animals—and seemingly unneeded in a solitary cell. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "The momentous transition to multicellular life may not have been so hard after all," 28 June 2018 Three new installations have arrived this month to occupy Eastern State Penitentiary’s achingly depressing and dilapidated solitary confinement cells, joining 10 others already there. — Edith Newhall, Philly.com, "New art to see in Philly this month: at Eastern State Pen, the Art Museum … and on napkins," 9 May 2018 In her solitary cell, Park has been eating apples and yogurt rather than prison food and has been reading popular comic books, including ones about fortune telling and a legendary karate fighter, according to local reports. — Anna Fifield, Washington Post, "Disgraced former South Korean president gets 24 years in prison on corruption charges," 6 Apr. 2018 One mom's cocoon of quiet bliss could be another's solitary cell of insanity. — Charlotte Hilton Andersen, Redbook, "A 'Month of Silence' After Birth Isn't Just Unrealistic, It's Downright Dangerous," 25 Aug. 2017 The prison also has been the subject of multiple lawsuits, including one that resulted in a federal judge ordering sweeping reductions in the use of pepper spray, solitary confinement and shackles on juveniles. — Todd Richmond, The Seattle Times, "Wisconsin youth prison probe closes without charges," 12 Apr. 2019 Since the midterms, in which many suburban voters turned against the president, the Democrats’ solitary political strategy has been that Mr. Trump would self-destruct.... — Daniel Henninger, WSJ, "Trump Flipped the Opposition," 6 Feb. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

SOLITARY: INSIDE RED ONION STATE PRISON (2017) 10 p.m. on HBO. — Kathryn Shattuck, New York Times, "What’s on TV Monday: ‘Finding Dory’ and ‘Gender Revolution: A Journey With Katie Couric’," 6 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'solitary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.