Solitary

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈsɑlɪˌtɛɹi/

Definitions

1. Existing or living alone, isolated from others, or done without companions
2. Living or existing without company or other individuals nearby ; performed or carried out without any companions present
3. Being alone or unaccompanied in a place or situation ; undertaken singly without the presence of others

Etymology: From Latin "sōlitārius," meaning "alone" or "single," which itself grew from "sōlus," "alone." The Latin form was borrowed into Middle English as "solitarie," so the word has been in English for many centuries, and it has always carried the core sense of being by oneself. The word is a doublet of "solitaire," meaning the same Latin source arrived in English twice by different routes. "Solitaire" came in through French, and it kept a narrower sense: a single gem set alone in a ring, and later a card game played by one person. "Solitary" took the more general path, so the two words share a root but have drifted into separate uses.

Synonyms: alone, lonely, isolated, singular, single

Antonyms: social, accompanied, together, united, communal