alone

Meanings

Adjective

• By oneself, solitary.
• Lacking peers who share one's beliefs, practices, etc.
• Apart from, or exclusive of, others.
• Mere; consisting of nothing further.
• Unique; rare; matchless.

Adverb

• By oneself; apart from, or exclusive of, others; solo.
• Without outside help.

Origin

• From Middle English allone, from earlier all oon, contracted from the Old English phrase eall ān, equivalent to al- + one. Cognate with Scots alane, Saterland Frisian alleene, West Frisian allinne, Dutch alleen, Low German alleen, German allein, Danish alene, Swedish allena. More at all and one. Regarding the different phonological development of alone and one, see the note in one.