Synonyms of solitude

solitude

noun

ˈsä-lə-ˌtüd 

as in privacy

the state of being alone or kept apart from others

sought the kind of solitude where his thoughts would be his only companions

Synonyms & Similar Words

• privacy
• isolation
• loneliness
• aloneness
• seclusion
• segregation
• solitariness
• separateness
• insulation
• confinement
• sequestration
• retirement
• internment
• secludedness
• lonesomeness
• vacuum
• withdrawal
• quarantine
• incarceration
• ghettoization

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• society
• companionship
• company
• fellowship
• camaraderie
• comradeship

Synonym Chooser

How is the word solitude distinct from other similar nouns?

The words isolation and seclusion are common synonyms of solitude. While all three words mean "the state of one who is alone," solitude may imply a condition of being apart from all human beings or of being cut off by wish or circumstances from one's usual associates.

a few quiet hours of solitude

When is it sensible to use isolation instead of solitude?

The words isolation and solitude are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, isolation stresses detachment from others often involuntarily.

the isolation of the village in winter

When can seclusion be used instead of solitude?

The words seclusion and solitude can be used in similar contexts, but seclusion suggests a shutting away or keeping apart from others often connoting deliberate withdrawal from the world or retirement to a quiet life.

lived in pastoral seclusion

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of solitude

Such arrangements are quite normal in this part of Patagonia, where gauchos often live in solitude until a very old age. — Jordan Salama, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

If the first season is about solitude, the second is about the end of love — what happens when two people sleep separately, still care for one another, but are no longer in love. — Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Written in the solitude of endless tour nights following the release of Something, his fourth album exists in the liminal space between pop stardom and the quiet solitude of a hotel room on tour. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026

The Libra moon encourages rest, solitude and a little emotional housekeeping before your birthday season kicks off later this month. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 Oct. 2026