solitude
Other forms: solitudes
Solitude is the state of being alone. You might crave solitude after spending the holidays with your big, loud family — you want nothing more than to get away from everyone for a little while.
Solitude can also refer to a place where you're completely alone. The middle of the woods, the top of a big mountain, the middle of a vast desert, even your room — these are places where you might go for solitude. Solitude comes from the Latin word solitudinem, which means "loneliness," but if you have moments of solitude that doesn't necessarily mean you're lonely. The word solitude carries the sense that you're enjoying being alone by choice.
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a state of social isolation
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the state or situation of being alonetype of:isolationa state of separation between persons or groups
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a solitary place
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Vocabulary lists containing solitude
Learn these essential words that you'll encounter in literature, textbooks, class discussions, and more.
Fleeing to America to escape the Vietnam War, Hà and her family end up in Alabama, where they must adapt to a new culture. This novel in verse was inspired by author Thanhha Lai's own experiences.
This 19th-century transcendentalist essay argues that spending time in nature helps people resist conformity and become their truest selves. Read the full text here. Here are links to our lists for other works by Ralph Waldo Emerson: Self-Reliance, The Young American