Solitude vs Loneliness: What’s the Difference?
The difference at a glance
Solitude is the peaceful, chosen state of being alone. Loneliness is the painful, unwanted emotional state of feeling isolated from others.
Example sentences are illustrative learning examples, not verified quotations.
What does Solitude mean?
noun · /ˈsɒl.ɪ.tjuːd/
The state of being alone — but unlike loneliness, solitude often implies that the aloneness is chosen and not unpleasant. The quality of being with oneself.
Explore SolitudeSolitude in a sentence
She required long periods of solitude to work — not silence exactly, but the particular quality of being accountable only to herself.
Solitude is not the absence of company; it is the presence of oneself. Some people never achieve it even alone.
What does Loneliness mean?
noun · /ˈləʊnlɪnɪs/
Sadness because one has no friends or company; the quality of being unfrequented and remote; the state of feeling unhappy about being alone.
Explore LonelinessLoneliness in a sentence
The loneliness wasn't about being alone — she could be alone quite happily. It was the specific absence of being known.
Loneliness in a crowd: the most specific kind — the people nearby make the isolation more acute.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Solitude and Loneliness?
Solitude is the peaceful, chosen state of being alone. Loneliness is the painful, unwanted emotional state of feeling isolated from others.
What does Solitude mean?
The state of being alone — but unlike loneliness, solitude often implies that the aloneness is chosen and not unpleasant. The quality of being with oneself.
What does Loneliness mean?
Sadness because one has no friends or company; the quality of being unfrequented and remote; the state of feeling unhappy about being alone.