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
Related Words
See alone.
Other Word Forms
- loneness noun
Etymology
Origin of lone
1325–75; Middle English; aphetic var of alone, used attributively
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.
Elementary-school curricula are full of stories of lone inventors experiencing flashes of inspiration.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
Sauer kept returning to his claim that the lone purpose of the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause was to overturn Dred Scott and grant citizenship to newly freed slaves and their children.
From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026
In many places she chooses to undercut the image of the lone genius, sovereign over his book-lined study and carefully marshaled pens.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
Mira Costa’s lone setback came Feb. 21 against Corona del Mar in the Redondo Classic final — a loss the Mustangs avenged four days later.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026
In the early morning light, a lone figure churned through the water of the swimming pool outside a Los Angeles apartment complex.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
