ENGLISH
REFERENCE

alone

adj.
A2 Elementary Oxford US //əˈɫoʊn// UK //ɐlˈəʊn// alone Archaic General-service

adj. without other people around you. You use this when you are by yourself or when no one else is helping you.

adj. separate from other people or things; solitary. Predicative only — it follows a linking verb and cannot be placed directly before a noun.


SIMPLE

I like to spend time alone in the morning.

CONTEXTUAL

She felt peaceful being alone in the house after a long day at the office.

COMPLEX

While some find the prospect of traveling alone daunting, others view it as the ultimate expression of independence and a chance for profound self-reflection.

Synonyms
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.

Usage

Used only after a verb (predicative); never used before a noun (attributive).

Pitfall

an alone mana man aloneAlone is a predicative adjective; it must follow the noun or a verb like 'is' or 'feels'.

Idioms7 entries

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