alone

UK /əˈləʊn/ US /əˈloʊn/ Syllables: a-lone

Pronunciation

Adjective A1 Beginner Neutral

Not with any other people, by yourself.

Alone describes a person who is by himself or herself, with no other people. You can live alone, travel alone or be alone in a room. It does not always mean sad: some people like being alone to think or to read. Alone can also mean only, as in you alone can decide. The word comes after a verb, as in she was alone. It can also be an adverb, as in he went alone. Lonely is different, because it means sad about being alone.

"She preferred to spend the evening alone with a good book."

Meanings

With no other people, by yourself.
Only, without anyone or anything else.

Example sentences

"She likes to walk alone in the evening."

Level A1, Meaning 1
"He lives alone in a small flat."

Level A1, Meaning 1
"You alone can decide what to do."

Level B2, Meaning 2
"Leave me alone, please. I am busy."

Level A1, Meaning 1

Look-alikes and common mistakes

lonely : Lonely means sad because you are alone. Alone only says that nobody else is there.
single : Single can describe a person who is not married. Alone says nobody is with you right now.

Word family and forms

lonely loneliness leave alone let alone

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "alone".

live alone
leave me alone
all alone
let alone
go it alone
not alone

Idioms and phrases

leave someone alone: To stop bothering someone.; "Please leave your sister alone while she studies."
let alone: And certainly not, used to say something is even less likely.; "I cannot afford a bike, let alone a car."

Origin

Alone comes from Middle English allone, from an older phrase all one, which came from the Old English words eall, meaning completely, and an, meaning one. So alone first meant wholly one, with no one else.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

Usage notes

Alone doesn't always mean lonely, someone can be happily alone.

How to remember it

Alone is all plus one. When you are alone, you are all one: just one person.

Test yourself

Which word fits the gap? "She likes to walk _____ in the evening."

Answer: alone

In your own words, what does "alone" mean?