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Solitary vs Gregarious - What's the difference?

solitary | gregarious |

As adjectives the difference between solitary and gregarious

is that solitary is living or being by one's self; alone; having no companion present; being without associates while gregarious is (of a person) describing one who enjoys being in crowds and socializing.

As a noun solitary

is one who lives alone, or in solitude; an anchoret, hermit or recluse.

solitary

Noun

(solitaries)
  • One who lives alone, or in solitude; an anchoret, hermit or recluse.
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Living or being by one's self; alone; having no companion present; being without associates.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-08, volume=407, issue=8839, page=55, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Obama goes troll-hunting , passage=The solitary , lumbering trolls of Scandinavian mythology would sometimes be turned to stone by exposure to sunlight. Barack Obama is hoping that several measures announced on June 4th will have a similarly paralysing effect on their modern incarnation, the patent troll.}}
  • Performed, passed, or endured alone; as, a solitary journey; a solitary life.
  • Not much visited or frequented; remote from society; retired.
  • Not inhabited or occupied; without signs of inhabitants or occupation; desolate; deserted; silent; still; hence, gloomy; dismal.
  • the solitary desert
  • * Bible, Lam. i. 1
  • How doth the city sit solitary , that was full of people.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1931, author=
  • , chapter=1/1, title= Death Walks in Eastrepps , passage=Eldridge closed the despatch-case with a snap and, rising briskly, walked down the corridor to his solitary table in the dining-car.}}
  • Single; individual; sole.
  • (botany) Not associated with others of the same kind.
  • Derived terms

    * solitariness * solitary confinement * solitary sandpiper * solitary snipe * solitary thrush * solitary tinamou

    Anagrams

    *

    gregarious

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (of a person) Describing one who enjoys being in crowds and socializing.
  • (zoology) Of animals that travel in herds or packs.
  • * 1972 , (Richard Adams), (Watership Down)
  • Rabbits are lively at nightfall, and when evening rain drives them underground they still feel gregarious .

    Antonyms

    * (of a person) (l) * (zoology) (l)

    Synonyms

    * (of a person who enjoys being in crowds) outgoing, sociable