solitary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

solitary

SYLLABICATION:	sol·i·tar·y
PRONUNCIATION:	sl-tr
ADJECTIVE:	1. Existing, living, or going without others; alone: a solitary traveler. See synonyms at alone. 2. Happening, done, or made alone: a solitary evening; solitary pursuits such as reading and sewing. 3. Remote from civilization; secluded: a solitary retreat. 4. Having no companions; lonesome or lonely. 5. Zoology Living alone or in pairs only: solitary wasps; solitary sparrows. 6. Single and set apart from others: a solitary instance of cowardice.
NOUN:	Inflected forms: pl. sol·i·tar·ies 1. A person who lives alone; a recluse. 2. Solitary confinement.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English, from Old French solitaire, from Latin slitrius, from slits, solitude, from slus, alone. See s(w)e- in Appendix I.
OTHER FORMS:	soli·tari·ly (-târ-l) —ADVERB soli·tari·ness —NOUN


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.