solitude

[ sol-i-tood, -tyood ]

noun

1. the state of being or living alone; seclusion:

   to enjoy one's solitude.

   Synonyms: privacy, retirement

2. remoteness from habitations, as of a place; absence of human activity:

   the solitude of the mountains.

   Synonyms: loneliness

3. a lonely, unfrequented place:

   a solitude in the mountains.

   Synonyms: wilderness, desert

solitude

/ ˈsɒlɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. the state of being solitary or secluded
2. poetic.
   a solitary place

Derived Forms

• ˌsoliˈtudinous, adjective

Other Words From

• sol·i·tu·di·nous [sol-i-, tood, -n-, uh, s, -, tyood, -], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of solitude¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin sōlitūdō. See soli- ¹, -tude

Word History and Origins

Origin of solitude¹

C14: from Latin sōlitūdō, from sōlus alone, sole ¹

Synonym Study

Solitude, isolation refer to a state of being or living alone. Solitude emphasizes the quality of being or feeling lonely and deserted: to live in solitude. Isolation may mean merely a detachment and separation from others: to be put in isolation with an infectious disease.

Example Sentences

In our modern era, when democracy is not just a system of laws or a set of elections but a life practice of people who work together with others to set a collective destiny, it’s crucial that we hold fast to that because the alternative is to retreat, as you noted, into solitude.

From Slate

“The Mexican migra has detained us multiple times, taken away our cellphones, beat us up, and sent us back to the south,” said Yancarlis Caldera, 29, one of hundreds of migrants camped out in a squalid tent city outside the colonial-era Roman Catholic Church of Santa Cruz and Solitude in Mexico City.

From Los Angeles Times

So when I looked back on the Hitchcock films, I was seeing loneliness, solitude, and fulfillment in his work.

From Salon

I was batch-cooking soup and binge-watching FX’s “Better Things,” relishing what felt like a rare solitude.

From Los Angeles Times

Still, there was an understanding that, beyond the clearly delineated industrial zone, Mead Valley residents could maintain their solitude and sweeping views, in exchange for shouldering a disproportionate share of an industry critical to America’s online shopping habit.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• emptiness
• isolation
• loneliness
• seclusion
• silence