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

Perhaps most importantly, comfort with solitude transforms the experience. —Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2026

The home team’s baseline at Chase Center has been a place of ample space and solitude ever since Steph Curry went down with a right knee injury two months ago. —Sam Amick, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2026

But the way Marchenko insists on drawing lines of uncomplicated beauty through the howling darkness of these songs gives his solitude a luxurious, almost decadent quality. —Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026

Growth emerges through both solitude and participation, and the works reflect this tension. —Olga Garcia-Mayoral, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026