Solitary

Definition: Solitary

Solitary

Adjective

1. Characterized by or preferring solitude in mode of life; "the eremitic element in the life of a religious colony"; "a lone wolf"; "a man of a solitary disposition".

2. Being the only one; single and isolated from others; "the lone doctor in the entire county"; "a lonesome pine"; "an only child"; "the sole heir"; "the sole example"; "a solitary instance of cowardice"; "a solitary speck in the sky".

3. Of plants and animals; not growing or living in groups or colonies; "solitary bees".

4. Lacking companions or companionship; "he was alone when we met him"; "she is alone much of the time"; "the lone skier on the mountain"; "a lonely fisherman stood on a tuft of gravel"; "a lonely soul"; "a solitary traveler".

5. Enjoyed or performed alone; "a lonely existence"; "his lonely room"; "took a solitary walk"; "enjoyed her solitary dinner"; "solitary pursuits such as reading".

6. Separated from or unfrequented by others; remote or secluded; "a lonely crossroads"; "a solitary retreat"; "a trail leading to an unfrequented lake".

Noun

1. Confinement of a prisoner in isolation from other prisoners; "he was held in solitary".

2. One who lives in solitude.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "solitary" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1258. (references)

Synonyms: Solitary

Seclusion Exclusion

Solitary; lonely, lonesome; isolated, single.

Unity

Adjective: one, sole, single, solitary, unitary; individual, apart, alone; kithless.

Crosswords: Solitary

Make it solitary confinement (All in the Family; writing credit: Johnny Speight; Norman Lear)

And solitary way (Leader Of The Band; performing artist: Dan Fogelberg)

As they grow restless longing for some solitary company (Africa; performing artist: Toto)

The Solitary Child (1958)

SOLITARY MAN  (performing artist: Neil Diamond )

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Salman the Solitary (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Vol. 1: (A Scandal in Bohemia/ The Dancing Men/ The Naval Treaty/ The Solitary Cyclist) (reference)

• Solitary Confinement-Investigative Reports (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• The Solitary Saxophone (reference)

• American 3: Solitary Man (reference)

• Solitary EP (reference)

• Solitary Travel (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Approximately 1 cm in diameter, this aymptomatic solitary polyp in a 57-year-old male is sessile and smooth. The polyp was removed by snare cautery. Credit: CDC.

A solitary fisherman casts his net in the waters off of Key Biscayne. Credit: America's Coastlines.

Photographed on 22 May 1953, as she was en route to Naval Air Station San Diego, California, following a deployment to Korean waters. Note crew paraded on the flight deck spelling out the word "HOME" and an arrow pointing over her bow. Aircraft on deck include 19 Grumman AF "Guardian" anti-submarine planes and a solitary Vought F4U "Corsair" fighter (parked amidships on the starboard side). Credit: NAVY.

And he never bolted one solitary plank!. Credit: Library of Congress.

A solitary horseman -- G.P.R. James Novels (?). Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

The solitary wrong answer is from NELL

No glorious future dreamed of alighting upon this solitary old man.

The loon retires to solitary ponds to spend it.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

The signs of early disseminated infection usually occur days to weeks after the appearance of a solitary erythema migrans lesion. (references)

The group in Munich and others have demonstrated stone clearance in up to 95 percent of symptomatic patients with solitary noncalcified gallstones less than 20-mm in diameter in a functioning gallbladder. (references)

Less clear exceptions are some North and South American Indians, individuals with solitary gallbladder polyps greater than 1 centimeter in diameter, individuals with anomalous pancreatic-biliary ductal junctions, and individuals with gallstones greater than 3 cm in diameter. (references)

Business

Besides generating power itself, KEPCO purchases power from other sources, mainly hydroelectric and privately owned generators (“captives” or Non-Utility Generators – solitary generation plants that supply to a company/industrial complex). (references)

Children

Bulgaria

Degrading and severe punishment, such as the shaving of a child's head, reduction in diet, severe beatings, and long periods of solitary confinement, are common at the schools. (references)

Civil Liberties

Iran

The 13 were jailed for more than a year before trial, largely in solitary confinement, without official charges or access to lawyers. (references)

Yemen

In May the PSO detained journalist Hassan al-Zaidi and held him incommunicado for 16 days, at times in solitary confinement, in the detention center under the PSO headquarters in Sana'a. (references)

Human Rights

Russia

At year's end, Pasko was being held in solitary confinement in a Vladivostok jail. (references)

Peru

Upon his return on August 6, prison officials put Navarro into solitary confinement. (references)

Thailand

Prison authorities sometimes used solitary confinement to punish difficult prisoners. (references)

Political Economy

Sudan

On February 22, authorities arrested Hassan al-Turabi, NIF founder, along with several leaders of the PNCP and charged them with threatening national security and the constitutional order by signing a memorandum of understanding with the SPLM. Turabi was detained in a maximum security prison; Turabi and the PNCP alleged that he was mistreated, held in solitary confinement, and denied visitors. (references)

Worker Rights

China

She is scheduled to be released in 2005. Nun Ngawang Sangdrol, who was imprisoned at age 13, released 9 months later and resentenced at age 15, also reportedly was beaten severely on multiple occasions and held in solitary confinement for an extended period. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Solitary

Expressions using "solitary": be solitary ♦ in solitary confinement ♦ put in solitary confinement ♦ solitary ant ♦ solitary bee ♦ solitary confinement ♦ solitary life ♦ Solitary Nucleus ♦ solitary pussytoes ♦ Solitary Rectal Ulcer ♦ solitary sandpiper ♦ solitary snipe ♦ solitary thrush ♦ solitary vireo. Additional references.

Beginning with "solitary": solitary-place.

Afrikaans

enigste (alone, only, sole), eensaam (lonely), alleen (alone, exclusively, just, only, sole, solely), allenig (alone, only, sole). (various references)

Albanian

vetmitar (eremite, hermit, lone wolf, loner), vetëm (alone, but, exclusively, just, lonely, merely, nothing but, only, simply, singly, so that, sole, solely, solus), i vetmuar (bleak, cloistered, desolate, eremitic, lone, lonely, lonesome, out of the way, private, privy, recluse, remote, retired, secluded), i vetëm (all, alone, lone, lonesome, one, only, single, Singleton, sole, solo, sporadic, unaccompanied, unique, very). (various references)

Arabic 

‏فردي (individual, personal, single, singular, solo), ‏مفرد (odd, one, single, singular, sole), ‏مهجور (abandoned, antiquated, archaic, archaism, bygone, derelict, deserted, desolate, disused, forlorn, forsaken, in disuse, lonely, lonesome, obsolete, outdated, outmoded, unfrequented), ‏منزو, ‏منعزل (bleak, downcast, hideaway, insulate, isolated, lone, lonely, lonesome, private, quiet, recluse, retired, secluded, separate, separated, shy, withdrawn), ‏متقوقع (confined, isolated), ‏متوحد (alone, isolated, lone, lonely, recluse, reclusive, secluded), ‏وحيد (alone, exclusive, lone, lonesome, one, one and only, only, private, single, unique), ‏حبس إنفرادي, ‏المنعزل, ‏المزوي, ‏الناسك (hermit). (various references)

Bulgarian 

строг тъмничен затвор (solitary confinement, strict imprisonment), усамотен (isolated, lonely, private, remote, retired, secluded, unfrequented), уединен (lone, lonely, obscure, private, recluse, retired, secluded, secret, withdrawn), самотник, самотен (desolate, friendless, lone, lonely, lonesome, lorn, secluded, single, unfriended), сам (alone, lone, lonely, odd, oneself, single, single handed, singly, solo, solus, unaccompanied, yourself), отшелник (anchoret, anchorite, eremite, hermit, recluse, troglodyte), откъснат (cut off, detached, disconnected, torn), отделен (detached, discrete, disjunct, distinct, divided, independent, individual, insular, lone, odd, particular, self contained, separate, several, single, singular, stray, unattached), единствен (one, only, single, singular, sole), един отделен. (various references)

Chinese 

孤零零, 孤獨 (lonely). (various references)

Czech

samotářský (antisocial, withdrawn), osamìlý (lone, lonely, lonesome, quiet), ojedinìlý (sporadic, stray, unique), izolovaný (incommunicado, isolated, secluded). (various references)

Danish

alene (alone, only, sole). (various references)

Dutch

louter (alone, clean, mere, only, pure, sole), enkel (ankle, exclusively, just, mere, only, single, sole), bloot (bare, mere, naked, nude, sole). (various references)

Esperanto

soleca (lonely), sola (alone, only, sole), nura (mere, sole). (various references)

Faeroese

einsamallur (alone, only, sole), berur (mere, sole). (various references)

Farsi 

پرت (Aback, Desultory, Faraway, Hurl, Remote, Wide), منزوی (Hermit, Insular, Recluse, Secluded, Solitudinarian), مجرد (Absolute, Abstract, Bachelor, Discrete, Immaterial, Lone, Single), گوشه نشین (Recluse, Solitudinarian, Unsociable), تنها (Alone, Exclusive, Just, Lone, Lonely, Mere, Only, Recluse, Single, Sole, Unaccompanied). (various references)

Finnish

yksinäinen (lonely, secluded, single), yksin (alone, by oneself, only, sole), ainoa (mere, only, sole). (various references)

French

solitaire (solitaire), seul (sole). (various references)

Frisian

allinne (alone, only, sole). (various references)

German

einsam (alone, desert, empty, fantastic, forlorn, isolated, lone, lonely, lonesom, lonesome, lonesomely, private, secluded, single handed, solitarily, unfrequented). (various references)

Greek 

μονήρησ (lonely, lonesome, retort), μοναχόσ (friar, lone), μοναχικός (lone, lonesome), ερημικόσ (desert, recluse, unfrequented), ασυντρόφευτος, απόκοσμος (eerie, uncanny, weird). (various references)

Hawaiian

vetëm (alone, only, sole). (various references)

Hebrew 

מתבודד (hermit, recluse, retiring, secluded, seclusive), גלמוד (barren, desolate, forlorn, lonely, lonesome, sterile), בודד (lone, lonely, secluded, single), בדד (alone, apart), נדח (banished, exiled, led astray, out of the way, remote). (various references)

Hungarian

remete (anchor, anchorite, eremite, hermit, recluse), magányos (be lonely, cloistered, desolate, friendless, lone, lonely, lonesome, recluse, remote, secluded, segregate, sequestered), elvonult (secluded), visszavonult (recluse, reclusive, retired, secluded, sequestered), társtalan (friendless, lonesome), magára maradt (to be left alone), magában élő (single), félreeső (devious, outlying, secluded, sequestered), elhagyatott (abandoned, deserted, desolate, forlorn, friendless, gaunt, helpless, lone, lorn, neglected, recluse, secluded), eldugott (outlandish, outlying), egyedüli (bare, lone, mere, only, single, singular, sole), egyedül élő (single), anakoréta. (various references)

Icelandic

einn (alone, one, only, sole), einmana (alone, only, sole), aleinn (alone, only, sole). (various references)

Indonesian

terpencil (desolate, reclusive, remote), penyendiri (liking to be alone, loner). (various references)

Italian

solo (alone, just, lone, lonely, lonesome, mere, only, single, sole, solidly, unaccompanied, unique, very), solitario (alone, lone, lone wolf, lonely, loner, patience, private, sequestered, single handed, solitaire, solo). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

寂しい (desolate, lonely, lonesome). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

さびしい (desolate, lonely, lonesome), さみしい (desolate, lonely, lonesome). (various references)

Korean 

고독한 (forlorn, lonely). (various references)

Lombard

in de per luu (alone, only, sole). (various references)

Malay

sendiri (alone, only, sole). (various references)

Manx

neuheshaghtagh (lone, uncompanionable), lomarcan (a solitary person, alone, lonely, singleton, singly, unaccompanied), lhome-lomarcan, fadaneagh (boorish, isolated, out of the way, recluse, remote, unfrequented; boor, wild, wild as terrain). (various references)

Norwegian

alene (alone, only, sole). (various references)

Papiamen

so (alone, only, sole). (various references)

Pig Latin

olitarysay.(various references)

Polish

sam (alone, herself, himself, itself, only, self, sole). (various references)

Portuguese

sozinho (all alone, alone, by myself, by oneself, cloistered, lone, lonely, single-handed, sole, unaided, unassisted, unattended), solitário (alone, cloistered, desolate, lone, lonely, lonesome, lorn, recluse, secluded, sole, solitaire, unfrequented, wild), isolado (alone, cloistered, cloistral, insulated, insulator, isolated, lone, lonesome, particular, recluse, secluded, separate, sequestered, sole, special, sporadic, straggling, strayed). (various references)

Romanian

singur (a, alone, by, by oneself, herself, himself, isolated, itself, lone, lonely, lonesome, mateless, naked, only, single, sole, solely, solo, yourself, yourselves). (various references)

Russian 

уединенный (cloistral, coy, lone, lonely, private, privy, recluse, retired, secluded, seclusive), отшельник (anchoret, anchorite, eremite, hermit, recluse, troglodyte), одиночный (one-man, segregate), одинокий (alone, desolate, friendless, lone, lonely, single), о (about, clothe, concerning, eau, of, on, regarding, stay, upon). (various references)

Scottish

aonaranach (lonely). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

usamljenik (solitaire, solus), usamljen (forlorn, friendless, lone, lonely, lonesome, lorn, unfrequented), pustinjak (anchorite, hermit, recluse). (various references)

Spanish

solo (a, all alone, alone, lone, lonely, lonesome, mere, neat, one, only, single, singular, sole, solo), único (a, alone, exclusive, non-recurring, one, one off, only, only thing, single, singular, sole, unique), solitario (alone, desolate, isolated, lone, lonely, lonesome, obscure, patience, recluse, seclusive, solitaire). (various references)

Swedish

enslig (lone, lonely, lonesome, secluded). (various references)

Turkish

yalniz (alone, only, sole), yalnız yaşayan, yalnız (alone, by yourself, exclusively, isolated, just, lone, lonely, lonesome, merely, on one's tod, only, private, single handed, singly, sole, solitarily, unaccompanied, unattended), tek (exclusive, fellow, homeo-, homo-, homoeo-, individual, lone, mono-, odd, one, one and only, only, single, singular, sole, uneven, uni-, unique), münzevi (secluded, sequestered), kimsesiz (all alone, alone, desolate, forlorn, lone, orphan, outcast), bir tek (nothing but, nothing else, one and only, only, solely, solitarily), ıssız (desert, deserted, desolate, forlorn, forsaken, isolated, retired, stark, unfrequented, uninhabited, void, waste, widowed, wild). (various references)

Turkmen 

яekemen (unsociable). (various references)

Ukrainian

самітний (alone, cloistered, close, desolate, friendless, lone, private, privy, single, singular, widowed), одиночний (one-man, single), покинутий (abandoned, desert, deserted, desolate, forgotten, forlorn, forsaken, lone, lovelorn, outcast, waif). (various references)

Vietnamese 

vắng vẻ (desert, deserted, lonely, lonesome), người ở ẩn (anchoret, anchorite), một mình (single, single-handed, singly, solo), cô đơn; hiu quạnh, cô độc (lonely, lonesome), ẩn sĩ (anchoret, anchorite, eremite). (various references)

Yucatec

hun (alone, only, sole). (various references)

Zulu

-dwa (alone, only, sole). (various references)

deserta, desertae, desertam, desertarum, desertas, deserti, desertis, deserto, desertos, desertum, desertus, secretum, singularis, solitarius, solus. (various references)

partialis. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Misspellings

"Solitary" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: olivary, salitary, sellatory, solitairy, solitar, solitare, solitarie, Solitorium, soltar, solutary, soulitary. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Direct Anagrams: royalist.

-1 letter: oralist, orality, ostiary, rialtos, tailors, trysail.

-2 letters: aliyos, aliyot, aorist, aristo, artily, lyrist, ratios, rialto, riyals, rosily, royals, sailor, satori, stylar, tailor, tolars, trails, trials, triols.

-3 letters: airts, alist, altos, arils, artsy, aryls, astir, iotas, lairs, laity, laris, liars, liras, lirot, litas, loris, lotas, lyart, orals, ostia, rails, ratio, ratos, rials, riots, riyal.

+1 letter: royalists, royalties.

+2 letters: epistolary, osmolarity, solidarity, solitarily.

+3 letters: antileprosy, atrociously, crystalloid, customarily, fractiously, gustatorily, mayoralties, oscillatory, personality, pyroclastic, rhinoplasty, sartorially, sorbability, statutorily, stimulatory, stipulatory, torsionally.

+4 letters: acrostically, antiroyalist, aoristically, artiodactyls, assimilatory, astrobiology, cartoonishly, clairvoyants, crossability, crystalloids, disastrously, discordantly, esoterically, forestaysail, gratuitously, historically, idolatrously, isothermally, lachrymosity, microanalyst, microcrystal, papyrologist, parasitology, polygraphist, prostacyclin, stridulatory, subnormality, supplicatory, traitorously, transitorily, voluntaryism, voluntaryist.