English Reference
adjective

lone

adj.
US /ˈɫoʊn/ UK /lˈəʊn/ lone

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate Literary

    standing by itself or far away from other things.

    physically isolated or situated apart from others; often used to describe buildings or geographical features.

    Simple

    We saw a lone farmhouse standing on the edge of the cliff.

    In context

    A lone pine tree stood against the horizon, marking the highest point of the desolate moorland.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced TechnicalDialect Politics

    describing a large area that is represented by only one person.

    referring to a legislative district that has not been subdivided into smaller units. This usage is specific to certain administrative systems.

    Simple

    He is the representative for the lone district of the province.

    In context

    The commission debated whether to maintain the province as a lone legislative district or to partition it based on the recent census results.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is primarily used in Philippine English and specific administrative contexts.

A lone security guard goes into the hall to get coffee from the vending machine.

Ars Technica· 28 Aug 2026

Shortened from alone.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated