alone

adjective

\ ə-ˈlōn

Definition of alone

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : separated from others : isolated was alone in the office

2 : exclusive of anyone or anything else : only She alone knows what happened.

3a : considered without reference to any other The children alone would eat that much.

b : incomparable, unique They are alone among their contemporaries in this respect.

alone

adverb

Definition of alone (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : solely, exclusively The blame is mine alone.

2 : without aid or support He said he could do it alone.

Other Words from alone Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about alone

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Choose the Right Synonym for alone

Adjective

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

Adjective

alone, solitary, and lonely mean separated from others. alone is used when a person is entirely without company. I was left alone in the room. solitary may be used to emphasize the fact of being the only one. The old tree had but a solitary apple. lonely is used when someone longs for company. I felt lonely after my friends left.

Examples of alone in a Sentence

Adjective

This wine goes well with food, but is also very good alone. I got him alone and asked him what had really happened. She lived alone for many years. She doesn't mind being alone because she never feels lonely. He was alone with his thoughts. He felt very alone when he went away to school.

Adverb

The police believe the criminal acted alone. The price alone is enough to discourage people. The special effects alone make the movie worth seeing.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Officials believe the man was alone when he was shot. — Jasper Scherer, Houston Chronicle, "Man found fatally shot in car in north Houston," 17 Aug. 2019 Many of the accusers said they were warned repeatedly by colleagues to never be alone with Domingo, even in an elevator. — Washington Post, "AP: Women accuse opera legend Domingo of sexual harassment," 13 Aug. 2019 Many of the accusers said they were warned repeatedly by colleagues to never be alone with Domingo, even in an elevator. — Jocelyn Gecker, The Denver Post, "Opera legend Placido Domingo accused of sexual harassment by several women," 12 Aug. 2019 London won’t be alone in its quest to become more national park-like. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "London Signs Up as First “National Park City”," 22 July 2019 One of those rules was that a man should never be alone in a room with a woman who was not his wife. — Suhauna Hussain, latimes.com, "A Mississippi politician denied access to a female reporter. What is the ‘Billy Graham rule’ he cited?," 15 July 2019 No one can be close to others, without also having frequent opportunities to be alone. — Alexandra Lange, Curbed, "Let Christopher Alexander design your life," 11 July 2019 Tony Dickey, the chaplain who pointed O’Rourke to the man whose wife had died, said the man had told him he had no family left and was all alone. — James Barragán, Dallas News, "El Pasoans rally around Beto O'Rourke at Walmart vigil as candidate skips key campaign stop," 8 Aug. 2019 That's why a small cadre of patients known as elite controllers has long fascinated researchers: Their immune system alone naturally suppresses HIV for decades without drugs. — Jon Cohen, Science | AAAS, "Can an immune strategy used to treat cancer also wipe out HIV infections?," 7 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb

The center found that on average, one American household emits 8.1 metric tons of CO2e each year through food consumption alone. — Leah Asmelash, CNN, "What you need to know about carbon footprints," 8 Sep. 2019 Murphy's character alone required between 35 and 40 different costumes. — Sonaiya Kelley, chicagotribune.com, "Oscar-winning designer Ruth Carter tasked with transforming Eddie Murphy for ‘Dolemite Is My Name’," 8 Sep. 2019 At Madrid alone, Ramos has accumulated 20 major honours including four La Liga crowns and four UEFA Champions League titles. — SI.com, "Sergio Ramos: 9 Facts About the Real Madrid Stalwart After 14 Years With Los Blancos," 8 Sep. 2019 That's at least 10,000 on the Google Play Store alone. — Wired, "Security News This Week: An Unprecedented Cyberattack Hit US Power Utilities," 7 Sep. 2019 Eventually in the video, Cyrus heads into the pool, alone, and seems to find peace floating in the water. — Neha Prakash, Glamour, "People Think Miley Cyrus's New Music Video Is Filled With Nods to Liam Hemsworth," 7 Sep. 2019 Avon took the lead for good on its next possession when Zeh found Joey Lance alone in the middle of the end zone for a 17-yard scoring pass to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead. — cleveland.com, "No. 10 Avon overpowers Lorain, 52-28, to open the season at 2-0," 6 Sep. 2019 In 100 years, Save the Children has helped more than one billion children, reaching 134 million children in 2018 alone. — Rania Aniftos, Billboard, "Little Big Town to Perform at Save the Children's Centennial Celebration: Exclusive," 6 Sep. 2019 Minnesota has received more than $68 million of these conservation dollars in the past two years alone. — David L. Bernhardt, Twin Cities, "Interior Secretary: Here’s how we’re expanding hunting, fishing opportunities in Minnesota," 6 Sep. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for alone

alone

Definition of alone

Other Words from alone

Synonyms & Antonyms for alone

Choose the Right Synonym for alone

Examples of alone in a Sentence

First Known Use of alone

History and Etymology for alone

alone

Definition of alone

Other Words from alone

Synonyms & Antonyms for alone

Choose the Right Synonym for alone

Examples of alone in a Sentence

First Known Use of alone

History and Etymology for alone

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