Lone has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
Adjective
Adjective
1
lacking companions or companionship
"he was alone when we met him"
"she is alone much of the time"
"the lone skier on the mountain"
"a lonely fisherman stood on a tuft of gravel"
"a lonely soul"
"a solitary traveler"
2
characterized by or preferring solitude
"a lone wolf"
"a lonely existence"
"a man of a solitary disposition"
"a solitary walk"
3
being the only one; single and isolated from others
"the lone doctor in the entire county"
"a lonesome pine"
"an only child"
"the sole heir"
"the sole example"
"a solitary instance of cowardice"
"a solitary speck in the sky"
4
Solitary; having no companion.
"The lone wolf paced quietly around its territory after sunset."
In plain English: Being alone with no other people around you.
"The lone survivor walked out of the forest alone to find help."
Example Sentences
"The lone survivor walked out of the forest alone to find help."
adj
"The lone wolf sat quietly by the fire."
adj
"She walked alone down the lonely street at night."
adj
"A single bird flew across the lone sky above us."
adj
Origin
Lone is a shortened form of the word alone that entered common usage to describe something solitary or isolated. It retains its original meaning but functions as an adjective rather than just an adverbial modifier like "alone."