What does "alone" mean?

1. (solitary) being by yourself, without any other people around. 2. (isolated in experience) feeling that no one else understands you or shares your situation. 3. (without help) doing something without any help from other people. 4. (only) used to show that you are talking about just one person or thing and nothing else.

How do you use "alone"?

Typically follows a linking verb; it is rarely used before a noun. Usually placed immediately after the noun or pronoun it modifies.

Is it correct to say "The alone man sat on the bench."?

No — say "The man sat alone on the bench.". In modern English, 'alone' is a predicative adjective. This means it usually comes after a verb like 'is' or 'sat', not before a noun.

alone

adj. · adv.

US //əˈɫoʊn// UK //ɐlˈəʊn// alone

1 solitary (adj.)
A2 Elementary

being by yourself, without any other people around.

being without companions or other people; used predicatively after a verb like 'be' or 'feel'.

Example

She likes being alone in the house because it is very quiet.

Example

After the guests departed, he finally felt alone in the vast apartment, enjoying the sudden silence of the evening.

Usage

Typically follows a linking verb; it is rarely used before a noun.
- solitary
- unaccompanied
- together
- accompanied
Pitfall

The alone man sat on the bench.

The man sat alone on the bench.

In modern English, 'alone' is a predicative adjective. This means it usually comes after a verb like 'is' or 'sat', not before a noun.
2 isolated in experience (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

feeling that no one else understands you or shares your situation.

lacking peers or others who share one's specific circumstances, beliefs, or experiences.

Example

You are not alone in your struggle; many people feel the same way.

Example

The researcher felt alone in her convictions until the latest data provided the evidence she needed to convince the board.
- isolated
- unique

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3 without help (adv.)
B1 Intermediate

doing something without any help from other people.

performing an action without assistance or external intervention.

Example

He managed to fix the broken bicycle alone after watching a video.

Example

The young entrepreneur built the entire software architecture alone, refusing to take on partners until the product was launched.
- solo
- unaided
- independently
- jointly
- collectively
4 only (adv.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

used to show that you are talking about just one person or thing and nothing else.

a focus adverb used to exclude all others except the person or thing mentioned.

Example

The price of the car alone is high, not including the insurance.

Example

The sheer scale of the project alone was enough to intimidate the most experienced engineers on the team.

Usage

Usually placed immediately after the noun or pronoun it modifies.

Origin

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

Idioms7 entries