lone

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /loʊn/ UK /ləʊn/ See IPA manual

Homophones

loan /loʊn/

Minimal pairs

Sounds like roan /l/ vs /r/

Meanings

1

adj
solitary; having no companions

A lone figure stood at the end of the pier.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · solitary; having no companions solitary lonely single sole unaccompanied isolated unattended

Opposites

accompanied together grouped

Word family

Derived forms loneness lonely lonesome

Related forms alone lonely lonesome

Etymology

A shortening of alone (from Middle English al one 'all one'), in which the 'a-' was misanalysed as the indefinite article. Ultimately from Old English āna ('one, alone').

āna Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# lone

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /loʊn/
**IPA (UK):** /ləʊn/

## Meanings
1. solitary; having no companions

## Examples
- A lone figure stood at the end of the pier.

## Synonyms
- solitary
- lonely
- single
- sole
- unaccompanied
- isolated
- unattended

## Antonyms
- accompanied
- together
- grouped

## Derived Forms
- loneness
- lonely
- lonesome

## Related Forms
- alone
- lonely
- lonesome

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: āna

## Etymology
A shortening of alone (from Middle English al one 'all one'), in which the 'a-' was misanalysed as the indefinite article. Ultimately from Old English āna ('one, alone').

## AI Etymology
Lone is a shortening of alone (from Middle English al one 'all one'), in which the 'a-' was misanalysed as the indefinite article. Ultimately from Old English āna ('one, alone'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As an adjective, it carries the sense "solitary; having no companions", with the older formation still helping explain the modern use. Relevant historical forms include Old English āna. Derivative forms include loneness, lonely, lonesome; related words include alone, lonely, lonesome.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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