solitary

How to use solitary in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for solitary.

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Editorial note

If you put us in solitary confinement we go insane.

Examples11

Definitions7

Parts of speech2

Quick take

confinement of a prisoner in isolation from other prisoners; "he was held in solitary"

Meaning at a glance

The clearest senses and uses of solitary gathered in one view.

noun

confinement of a prisoner in isolation from other prisoners; "he was held in solitary"

noun

one who lives in solitude

adjective

characterized by or preferring solitude; "a lone wolf"; "a lonely existence"; "a man of a solitary disposition"; "a solitary walk"

Definitions

Core meanings and parts of speech for solitary.

noun

confinement of a prisoner in isolation from other prisoners; "he was held in solitary"

noun

one who lives in solitude

See also: hermit, recluse, solitudinarian, troglodyte

adjective

characterized by or preferring solitude; "a lone wolf"; "a lonely existence"; "a man of a solitary disposition"; "a solitary walk"

adjective

of plants and animals; not growing or living in groups or colonies; "solitary bees"

adjective

lacking companions or companionship; "he was alone when we met him"; "she is alone much of the time"; "the lone skier on the mountain"; "a lonely fisherman stood on a tuft of gravel"; "a lonely soul"; "a solitary traveler"

adjective

being the only one; single and isolated from others; "the lone doctor in the entire county"; "a lonesome pine"; "an only child"; "the sole heir"; "the sole example"; "a solitary instance of cowardice"; "a solitary speck in the sky"

adjective

devoid of creatures; "a lonely crossroads"; "a solitary retreat"; "a trail leading to an unfrequented lake"

Example sentences

If you put us in solitary confinement we go insane.

And Linode treats that one solitary server better than any other VPS host in the world.

Manning was kept for 3 years in prison, half of that in solitary, with sleep deprivation and all that - with no charge.

As a white person thrown into psychiatric solitary a couple times, I'd say that he got pretty cushy treatment compared to what black folks get. No trial, out in 12 hours?

If you got in a knife fight and stabbed someone, you might well be held pending trial, but not usually in solitary confinement.

I don't think there has to be merely one single solitary reason for the popularity of diamonds.

Yes, the problem with this person being beaten up, put in solitary and abused for no reason simply comes down to their inability to shut up.

The founders did not create the United States so that some solitary 29-year-old could make unilateral decisions about what should be exposed.

Even if you succeed, all you've achieved is to protect one solitary person at the cost of considerable personal inconvenience.

"Mitnick became a symbol of government oppression in the late 1990s, when he spent four and a half years in prison and eight months in solitary confinement before his trial on hacking charges.

As someone who spends a good deal of time alone because I enjoy solitary pursuits, I disagree with the article when it claims that alone time is a form of "liberation", "freedom", and gaining "control".