solitaries
|sol-i-ta-ries|
🇺🇸
/ˈsɑlɪtəriz/
🇬🇧
/ˈsɒlɪtəriz/
(solitary)
alone
Etymology
'solitary' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'solitarius', where 'solus' meant 'alone'.
'solitary' changed from Old French 'solitaire' and Middle English 'solitarie' and eventually became the modern English word 'solitary'.
Initially it meant 'alone' or 'single', but over time it developed the current senses of 'alone; living by oneself' and 'a place for isolation (e.g., a cell)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'solitary' meaning people who live alone or by choice apart from others; recluses or hermits.
The hillside community was mostly made up of solitaries who valued privacy and silence.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
plural of 'solitary' meaning individual isolation cells or places of confinement (often used in plural to refer to separate solitary cells in prisons or monasteries).
After the riot several prisoners were moved to different solitaries for their own protection.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/08/23 15:41