solitary

 
Pronunciation: /ˈsɒlɪt(ə)ri/

adjective

  • 1done or existing alone: I live a pretty solitary life tigers are essentially solitary
  • (of a place) secluded or isolated: solitary farmsteads
  • (of a bird, mammal, or insect) living alone or in pairs, especially in contrast to related social forms: a solitary wasp
  • (of a flower or other part) borne singly: each spider-like bloom is solitary
  • 2 [attributive, often with negative] single; only: we have not a solitary shred of evidence to go on

noun (plural solitaries)

  • 1a recluse or hermit: he had something of the solitary about him

Derivatives

solitarily

adverb

solitariness

noun

Origin:

Middle English: from Latin solitarius, from solus 'alone'