lone
Americanadjective
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being alone; without company or accompaniment; solitary; unaccompanied.
a lone traveler.
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standing by itself or apart; isolated.
a lone house in the valley.
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sole; single; only.
That company constitutes our lone competitor in the field.
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unmarried or widowed.
adjective
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unaccompanied; solitary
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single or isolated
a lone house
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a literary word for lonely
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unmarried or widowed
Synonym Usage
See alone.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lone
1325–75; Middle English; aphetic var of alone, used attributively
Explanation
Something described as lone is the only one of its kind — it's on its own. The lone child waiting for a ride home from school is the very last kid to be picked up. The lone tree in your yard is the only one growing there, and if your well is your lone source of water, it's the only way that water flows from the shower or the kitchen faucet. Sometimes lone is used to mean "lacking support," as when a state senator's vote is a lone voice in opposition to a proposed bill. If someone calls you a "lone wolf," they see you as someone who prefers acting alone.
Vocabulary lists containing lone
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Commonly Confused Words, List 4
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Commonly Confused Words, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Over time, that lone cell gives rise to an extraordinarily complex organ containing roughly 170 billion cells.
From Science Daily • Jun. 25, 2026
This lone holdout is clarifying: If one index gatekeeper could keep its standards, the others didn’t have to lower theirs.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
The instinct goes even further, suggesting that what should be celebrated above all else is the idea of the lone hero, the one who covers themselves in the glory of gladiatorial combat.
From Slate • Jun. 16, 2026
Asked shortly after her lone doubles victory at the Queen’s Club why she returned to the tour after a hiatus punctuated by the birth in 2023 of her second child, Adira River Ohanian, Williams shrugged.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
This time in the empty space in the middle of the library there are two lone music stands facing each other.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
