Aloneness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of being separated from others or lacking companionship and social connection
2. The quality or condition of standing apart from human society and experiencing isolation from social bonds
3. A state of solitude marked by the absence of companionship and the feeling of disconnection from others

Etymology: "Aloneness" is a plain build: the adjective "alone" with the suffix "-ness", which turns a quality into a noun. "Alone" itself is a compound of "all" and "one," so the word for being by oneself is literally a combination of "all" and "one." The suffix "-ness" is old Germanic material that English has used for centuries to form abstract nouns from adjectives, such as "kindness" or "darkness." The noun came into English in Middle English as "alonnesse," which the source records, so the formation is older than the modern spelling. The form shows the same logic as its parts: "alone" describes a single figure set apart, and "-ness" names the condition of being in that state.

Synonyms: solitude, isolation, loneliness, seclusion, apartness

Antonyms: togetherness, companionship, community, friendship