alone

I. adjective Etymology: Middle English, from al all + one one Date: 13th century 1. separated from others ; isolated 2. exclusive of anyone or anything else ; only <

she alone knows why

> 3. a. considered without reference to any other <

the children alone would eat that much

> b. incomparable, unique <

alone among their contemporaries in this respect

> • aloneness noun Synonyms: alone, solitary, lonely, lonesome, lone, forlorn, desolate mean isolated from others. alone stresses the objective fact of being by oneself with slighter notion of emotional involvement than most of the remaining terms <

everyone needs to be alone sometimes

>. solitary may indicate isolation as a chosen course <

glorying in the calm of her solitary life

> but more often it suggests sadness and a sense of loss <

left solitary by the death of his wife

>. lonely adds to solitary a suggestion of longing for companionship <

felt lonely and forsaken

>. lonesome heightens the suggestion of sadness and poignancy <

an only child often leads a lonesome life

>. lone may replace lonely or lonesome but typically is as objective as alone <

a lone robin pecking at the lawn

>. forlorn stresses dejection, woe, and listlessness at separation from one held dear <

a forlorn lost child

>. desolate implies inconsolable grief at loss or bereavement <

desolate after her brother's death

>. II. adverb Date: 13th century 1. solely, exclusively <

the blame is his alone

> 2. without aid or support <

said he could do it alone

>