alone

1. 1
   no one else thereadjectivenot before a noun

   Being on one's own, with no other people present or nearby.

   She waited until the office emptied and she was alone before making the call.

   The hikers were alone for miles, with no other trail in sight.

   UsageComes after a verb: she was alone, a lonely man (not incorrect: an alone man). Lonely adds sadness; alone need not.

   Similarunaccompanied, solitary, isolated

   Oppositeaccompanied

2. 2
   soloadverbnot before a noun

   By oneself, without other people taking part or providing help.

   She likes going to the movies alone so she can choose whatever film she wants.

   The pilot flew the route alone across the ocean.

   UsageUsually after the verb or its object: live alone, flew the route alone; by yourself and on your own mean the same.

   Similarsolo, single-handedly

   Oppositetogether

3. 3
   only (nothing else)adverbnot before a noun

   Placed after a noun to show that nothing beyond it is allowed or involved; exclusively.

   After 10 p.m., residents alone are allowed to use the rooftop pool.

   Talent alone rarely guarantees a lasting career.

   UsageComes right after the noun it limits, where only comes before: talent alone, only talent.

   Similaronly, solely, exclusively

   Note

   Madison uses it in Federalist No. 46 (1788): authority "resides in the People alone". Solely is the nearest synonym in meaning. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • James Madison wrote Federalist No. 46, first published in 1788. en.wikipedia.org
   • Federalist No. 46 appeared in the New York Packet on January 29, 1788. avalon.law.yale.edu
   • Madison states that ultimate authority resides in the people alone. en.wikisource.org
4. 4
   adverbnot before a noun

   Placed after a noun to single out one part or factor considered by itself, stressing that it is enough on its own or that the whole is larger still.

   In California alone, the wildfires destroyed thousands of homes.

   The interest on the loan alone came to several thousand dollars.

   UsageOften opens a sentence before a big figure: In California alone, Last year alone.

   Note

   A rhetorical move rather than a restriction: name one part, and let its size imply the whole. Three racks for blazers alone tells you the wardrobe is enormous. In The Romance of Isabel, Lady Burton (1897), the sorting of her papers alone was "a formidable task". The phrase usually follows a mention of the whole, or it opens the sentence, as in California alone. Source

   Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

   • The Romance of Isabel, Lady Burton was first published in 1897. gutenberg.org
   • The book describes sorting Lady Burton’s papers alone as "a formidable task". gutenberg.org
5. 5
   no one like youadjectivenot before a noun

   Without anyone else who holds the same beliefs, has had the same experiences, or follows the same practices.

   Among colleagues who dismissed the theory, she stood alone.

   He felt alone in his grief, surrounded by people who had lost no one.

   UsageOften used negatively for reassurance: you're not alone. Use alone in before a noun or an -ing form: alone in her grief, alone in believing it.

   Similarisolated, lonely

   Note

   It counts allies rather than company. A senator who is not alone has others who agree with her, whether or not anyone is in the room.

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