# alone

Pronunciation: say "uh-LOHN" US /əˈloʊn/, UK /əˈləʊn/

## Adjective

1. Being on one's own, with no other people present or nearby.
   - Simple: By yourself, with no other people with you or near you.
   - _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._
5. Without anyone else who holds the same beliefs, has had the same experiences, or follows the same practices.
   - Simple: Without anyone who shares your beliefs or experiences.
   - _Among colleagues who dismissed the theory, she stood alone._
   - _He felt alone in his grief, surrounded by people who had lost no one._

## Adverb

2. By oneself, without other people taking part or providing help.
   - Simple: By yourself, without anyone else joining in or helping.
   - _She likes going to the movies alone so she can choose whatever film she wants._
   - _The pilot flew the route alone across the ocean._
3. Placed after a noun to show that nothing beyond it is allowed or involved; exclusively.
   - Simple: Used right after a noun to mean only that one thing and nothing else.
   - _After 10 p.m., residents alone are allowed to use the rooftop pool._
   - _Talent alone rarely guarantees a lasting career._
4. 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.
   - Simple: After a noun: just this one part, without counting the rest, often showing it is enough or that the whole is bigger.
   - _In California alone, the wildfires destroyed thousands of homes._
   - _The interest on the loan alone came to several thousand dollars._

## Adjective

6. Belonging or applying exclusively to one party, apart from all others. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Belonging to one party only, kept apart from all others.
7. Unique and without equal; matchless or peerless. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Being one of a kind, better than all others.
8. Being merely what is specified and nothing further; mere. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Being only that and nothing more.

## Origin

From Middle English allone, from the earlier phrase all oon (literally "all one"), contracted from the Old English phrase eall an ("completely alone"), formed from al- ("all") plus one. It is related to Dutch alleen, German allein, Danish alene, and Swedish allena, all meaning "alone."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/alone (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).