solitude
View all »Definitions (11)
American Heritage Dictionary (3)
- noun The state or quality of being alone or remote from others.
- noun A lonely or secluded place.
- Syntax Note Synonyms: solitude, isolation, seclusion, retirement
These nouns denote the state of being alone. Solitude implies the absence of all others: "The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship” (Francis Bacon). "I love tranquil solitude” (Percy Bysshe Shelley).
Isolation emphasizes total separation or detachment from others: "the isolation of Crusoe, depicted by Defoe's genius” (Winston Churchill).
Seclusion suggests removal, though not necessarily complete inaccessibility; the term often connotes a withdrawal from social contact: enjoyed my walk in the seclusion of the woods.
Retirement suggests a withdrawal or retreat from active life, as for serenity or privacy: "an elegant sufficiency, content,/Retirement, rural quiet, friendship, books” (James Thomson).
Century Dictionary (4)
GNU Webster's 1913 (1)
WordNet (3)
Elsewhere on the web
View all » Examples
- In the next movement the solitude is all dispelled. — The Great Italian and French Composers
- I knew he was here for me, probably to take me somewhere that I didn't want to go. — Pop Goes The Weasel
- Young man, solitude is the nectar of individuality. — When The Bough Breaks
- Otherwise the solitude is absolute. — The Letters of Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- It seemed that his solitude was at an end. — Tales of Ten Worlds
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View all »Etymologies (3)
American Heritage Dictionary (1)
- Middle English, from Old French, from Latin sōlitūdō, from sōlus, alone; see s(w)e- in Indo-European roots.
Century Dictionary (1)
GNU Webster's 1913 (1)
WordNet
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Pronunciations
/ (sŏlˈĭ-to͞odˌ, -tyo͞odˌ)/
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American Heritage Dictionary