solitaries
Those who isolate
Solitaries is the plural of solitary, referring to people who live alone or in isolation—hermits, recluses, or those who prefer their own company: The desert has always attracted solitaries seeking spiritual clarity.
In some religious traditions, solitaries are contemplatives who live apart from communities.
State of lacking companions
- desolationState of complete emptiness
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
- forlornnessMiserable isolation of spirit
- emptinessAbsence of substance
yearning · sadness · isolation · alienation · introspection · self-reflection · quietude · brooding
Voluntary withdrawal from society
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
- segregationForced separation by group
- quarantineIsolation preventing disease transmission
exile · banishment · separation · confinement · ostracism · estrangement · alienation · remoteness
People choosing isolation
- reclusesPeople avoiding all society
- asceticsPeople practicing severe self-discipline
- monasticsReligious community members
- misanthropesHaters of humankind
introverts · lone wolves · desert fathers · fakirs · cenobites · troglodytes · loners · isolates
Sustained reflective attention
- meditationFocused attention practice
- asceticismSevere self-denial practice
- prayerAddress to deity
- devotionDeep, loyal commitment
renunciation · monasticism · self-denial · penance · fasting · vigil · silence · austerity
loneliness
State of lacking companions
- desolationState of complete emptiness
- melancholySubdued, lasting sadness
- forlornnessMiserable isolation of spirit
emptiness · yearning · sadness · isolation · alienation · introspection · self-reflection · quietude · brooding · contemplation
seclusion
Voluntary withdrawal from society
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- detachmentSeparation or emotional uninvolvement
- segregationForced separation by group
quarantine · exile · banishment · separation · confinement · ostracism · estrangement · alienation · remoteness · aloneness
hermits
People choosing isolation
- reclusesPeople avoiding all society
- asceticsPeople practicing severe self-discipline
- monasticsReligious community members
misanthropes · introverts · lone wolves · desert fathers · fakirs · cenobites · troglodytes · loners · isolates
contemplation
Sustained reflective attention
- meditationFocused attention practice
- asceticismSevere self-denial practice
- prayerAddress to deity
devotion · renunciation · monasticism · self-denial · penance · fasting · vigil · silence · austerity · retreat
hermitage
Secluded religious dwelling
sanctuary · hideaway · cloister · refuge · haven · shelter · den · lair · anchorhold · desert
solitariessocial butterflies
Highly outgoing, sociable people
socialites · extroverts · party animals · joiners · people persons
solitariescenobites
Members of religious communities
monastics · friars · community members · brethren · religious communities
solitariescollectivists
Group-priority ideology adherents
communalists · team players · communitarians · congregants · members