solo

1 of 4

noun

so·​lo ˈsō-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce solo (audio)
plural solos
Synonyms of solonext
1
or plural soli ˈsō-(ˌ)lē How to pronounce solo (audio)
a
: a musical composition for a single voice or instrument with or without accompaniment
b
: the featured part of a concerto or similar work
2
: a performance in which the performer has no partner or associate : something undertaken or done alone
a student pilot's first solo
3
: any of several card games in which a player elects to play without a partner against the other players

solo

2 of 4

adverb

: without a companion : alone
fly solo

solo

3 of 4

adjective

1
: accommodating one person
a solo canoe
2
: of, relating to, or being a solo
a solo performance
a solo flight
3
: hit with no runners on base
a solo home run

solo

4 of 4

verb

soloed; soloing ˈsō-(ˌ)lō-iŋ How to pronounce solo (audio)
-lə-wiŋ

intransitive verb

: to perform by oneself: such as
a
: to perform a musical solo
b
: to fly an airplane without one's instructor on board

transitive verb

1
: to fly (an aircraft) alone
2
: to climb (something, such as a mountain) alone

Synonyms of solo

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of solo in a Sentence

Noun She is learning to fly and she flew her first solo yesterday. Adjective a student pilot's first solo flight She left the band last year and started a solo career. He just issued his first solo album. Verb The guitarist solos on practically every song. She soloed for the first time yesterday.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Springfield first found success in Australia as a member of the band Zoot before pursuing a solo career and eventually relocating to the United States. — Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 After striking out his first time up, Morales hit a solo shot in the third inning. — Noah Trister, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Adverb
Allgood is among a rising crop of married women opting to travel solo or with friends, leaving spouses at home to embrace adventure. — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 After various lineup changes, the Runaways broke up and Jett went solo. — Lisa Whittington-Hill, Longreads, 27 Aug. 2026
Adjective
During something of an unofficial hiatus, James was busy with solo material. — Ryan Leas, Pitchfork, 28 Aug. 2026 LaserJet M110w Printer This LaserJet M110w printer is fit for small teams ranging from just solo assignments to group projects of up to three people. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
Yet Grohl took it upon himself to be the official ambassador of rock ‘n’ roll, running circles around the stage during the nearly-three hour set, screaming, riffing and soloing away on 30-plus years of Foo Fighters hits. — William Earl, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026 One of my biggest adventure goals was climbing El Capitan, the legendary 3,200-foot wall in Yosemite that Alex Honnold famously free-soloed. — Chris Strouthopoulos, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for solo

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Italian, from solo alone, from Latin solus

First Known Use

Noun

1695, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

1712, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1774, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1886, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of solo was in 1695

Phrases Containing solo

Rhymes for solo

See All Rhymes for solo

Browse Nearby Words

soln
solo
solo break
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Solo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solo. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

solo

1 of 3 noun
so·​lo ˈsō-lō How to pronounce solo (audio)
plural solos
1
or plural soli ˈsō-lē How to pronounce solo (audio) : a piece of music written to be performed by one voice or one instrument
2
: an action in which there is only one performer

solo

2 of 3 adverb or adjective
: without a companion : alone

solo

3 of 3 verb
soloed; soloing
-(ˌ)lō-iŋ, 
-lə-wiŋ
: to perform by oneself
especially : to fly an airplane without one's instructor
Etymology

Noun

from Italian solo "a part in music performed without accompaniment," from solo (adjective) "alone," from Latin solus "alone" — related to desolate, sole entry 4, solitude

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