Loneliness NZ

Meaning of being alone

Being alone is a circumstance of when you are on your own, with no-one else around either for a short period of time, or more permanently. Without context of situation or facial expression or body language “being alone” is neutral, inasmuch that it neither conveys happiness nor sadness.

It is only as context is added that you would be able to work out whether being alone is a positive (solitude) or a negative (social isolation or loneliness) situation for the individual.

Related terms

One way to further understand what being alone means is to explore related terminology (by selecting one of the coloured rectangles below).

These terms may or may not overlap with the meaning of being alone, but give further insight into the nature of being lonely, and forms of isolation.