Solo vs. Single — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 18, 2024
"Solo" refers to doing something alone, typically emphasizing the individual's action without assistance, while "Single" describes a state of being one in number or unmarried.
Difference Between Solo and Single
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Solo often implies a person performing or completing a task alone, highlighting their independence or the uniqueness of the action. Whereas, Single is commonly used to describe someone who is not involved in a romantic relationship or is unmarried.
Solo can also denote an individual's effort or performance, particularly in creative or artistic fields, like a solo concert or exhibition. On the other hand, Single can denote the number one, applicable in various contexts, such as a single option or a single item.
In travel, flying solo suggests traveling alone, focusing on personal experiences and freedom. While, being single might affect the type of travel arrangements one prefers, often impacting social interactions during the journey.
Solo work in a professional setting implies a project or task undertaken entirely by one person, emphasizing personal responsibility and autonomy. Whereas, a single employee may refer to their marital status, which can be noted for administrative or demographic purposes.
In gaming, playing solo means engaging in a game by oneself, possibly against AI or managing all roles within the game alone. In contrast, a single-player game is designed specifically for one player, often crafted to cater to an individual gaming experience.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Done alone, without assistance.
One in number, or unmarried.
Usage in Context
"He decided to climb solo."
"She checked the single box."
Relationship
Individual action or performance.
Marital status or singularity.
Professional Use
Tasks done independently.
Employee’s marital status.
Entertainment
Solo album, solo performance.
Single-player game, single ticket.
Compare with Definitions
Solo
Performing alone.
She will perform a piano solo at the concert.
Single
One alone, not multiple.
She needs a single reason to stay.
Solo
Only or solely.
She attended the meeting solo.
Single
Unmarried or not in a relationship.
He is single and ready to mingle.
Solo
Exclusive or unaccompanied.
He took a solo flight to London.
Single
Designed for one person.
This is a single-serving package.
Solo
Single or individual.
She opted for solo travel this year.
Single
Only or one.
She received a single reply to her emails.
Solo
Undertaken without others' help.
He completed the project solo.
Single
Unique or special.
A single glance was enough.
Solo
For or done by one person alone; unaccompanied
She'd spent most of her life flying solo
A solo album
Single
Only one; not one of several
The kingdom was ruled over by a single family
A single red rose
Solo
For or done by one person alone; unaccompanied
A solo album
She'd spent most of her life flying solo
Single
Consisting of one part
The studio was a single large room
Solo
A piece of vocal or instrumental music or a dance, or a part or passage in one, for one performer
The opening bassoon solo is relatively bland
Petipa often left the danseur to arrange his own brief solo
Single
Free from duplicity or deceit; ingenuous
A pure and single heart
Solo
An unaccompanied flight by a pilot in an aircraft
His first ride in his aircraft would also be his first solo
Single
An individual person or thing rather than part of a pair or a group.
Solo
A card game resembling whist in which the players make bids and the highest bidder plays against the others in an attempt to win a specified number of tricks.
Single
A hit for one run.
Solo
A motorbike without a sidecar
50 races—solos and sidecars—should make for a thrilling showdown
Single
(especially in tennis and badminton) a game or competition for individual players, not pairs or teams.
Solo
Perform an unaccompanied piece of music or a part or passage in one
You're in danger of forgetting that you're accompanying rather than soloing
Single
A system of change-ringing in which one pair of bells changes places at each round.
Solo
Fly an aircraft unaccompanied
She had been flying for twelve years and had soloed on her seventeenth birthday
Single
Choose someone or something from a group for special treatment
One newspaper was singled out for criticism
Solo
(Music) A composition or passage for an individual voice or instrument, with or without accompaniment.
Single
Thin out (seedlings or saplings)
Hand hoes are used for singling roots
Solo
A performance by a single singer or instrumentalist.
Single
Reduce (a railway track) to a single line
The South Western line was singled west of Salisbury
Solo
(Games) Any of various card games in which one player singly opposes others.
Single
Hit a single
Cohen singled to centre
Solo
(Music) Composed, arranged for, or performed by a single voice or instrument.
Single
Not accompanied by another or others; solitary.
Solo
Made or done by a single individual.
Single
Consisting of one part, aspect, or section
A single thickness.
A single serving.
Solo
Unaccompanied; alone
Flew solo from Anchorage to Miami.
Single
Having the same application for all; uniform
A single moral code for all.
Solo
To perform a solo.
Single
Consisting of one in number
She had but a single thought, which was to escape.
Solo
To fly an airplane without a companion or an instructor, especially for the first time.
Single
Not divided; unbroken
A single slab of ice.
Solo
To complete (a challenging endeavor) by oneself rather than with a partner or as part of a team
Soloed the north face of Mt. Everest.
Single
Separate from others; individual and distinct
Every single child will receive a gift.
Solo
(music) A piece of music for one performer.
Single
Having individual opponents; involving two individuals only
Single combat.
Solo
A job or performance done by one person alone.
Single
Honest; undisguised
A single adoration.
Solo
(games) A card game similar to whist in which each player plays against the others in turn without a partner
Single
Wholly attentive
You must judge the contest with a single eye.
Solo
A single shot of espresso.
Single
Designed to accommodate one person or thing
A single bed.
Solo
(Gaelic football) An instance of soloing the football.
Single
Not married or involved in a romantic relationship
Once he knew she was single, he asked her to go out.
Solo
Without a companion or instructor.
Single
Relating to a state of being unmarried or uninvolved in a romantic relationship
Enjoys the single life.
Solo
(music) Of, or relating to, a musical solo.
Single
(Botany) Having only one rank or row of petals
A single flower.
Solo
Alone, without a companion.
Single
One that is separate and individual.
Solo
(music) To perform a solo.
Single
Something capable of carrying, moving, or holding one person or thing at a time, as a bed or a hotel room.
Solo
To perform something in the absence of anyone else.
Single
A person who is not married or involved in a romantic relationship.
Solo
(Gaelic football) To drop the ball and then toe-kick it upward into the hands.
Single
Singles Such persons considered as a group
A bar for singles.
Solo
A tune, air, strain, or a whole piece, played by a single person on an instrument, or sung by a single voice.
Single
A one-dollar bill.
Solo
Performing, or performed, alone; uncombined, except with subordinate parts, voices, or instruments; not concerted.
Single
A phonograph record, especially a forty-five, having one song on each side.
Solo
Any activity that is performed alone without assistance
Single
A song on one of these sides.
Solo
A musical composition for one voice or instrument (with or without accompaniment)
Single
A song, often from a full-length album or compact disc, that is released for airplay.
Solo
A flight in which the aircraft pilot is unaccompanied
Single
(Baseball) A hit enabling the batter to reach first base. Also called one-bagger, one-base hit.
Solo
Fly alone, without a co-pilot or passengers
Single
A hit for one run in cricket.
Solo
Perform a piece written for a single instrument
Single
A golf match between two players.
Solo
Composed or performed by a single voice or instrument;
A passage for solo clarinet
Single
Often singles A tennis or badminton match between two players.
Solo
Without anybody else;
The child stayed home alone
He flew solo
Single
Singles A competition in which individuals compete against each other, as in rowing or figure skating.
Single
To cause (a base runner) to score or advance by hitting a single
Singled him to second.
Single
To cause the scoring of (a run) by hitting a single.
Single
To hit a single.
Single
Not accompanied by anything else; one in number.
Can you give me a single reason not to leave right now?
The vase contained a single long-stemmed rose.
Single
Not divided in parts.
The potatoes left the spoon and landed in a single big lump on the plate.
Single
Designed for the use of only one.
A single room
Single
Performed by one person, or one on each side.
A single combat
Single
Not married, and (in modern times) not dating or without a significant other.
Forms often ask if a person is single, married, divorced, or widowed. In this context, a person who is dating someone but who has never married puts "single".
Josh put down that he was a single male on the dating website.
Single
(botany) Having only one rank or row of petals.
Single
(obsolete) Simple and honest; sincere, without deceit.
Single
Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.
Single
(obsolete) Simple; foolish; weak; silly.
Single
(music) A 45 RPM vinyl record with one song on side A and one on side B.
Single
(music) A popular song released and sold (on any format) nominally on its own though usually having at least one extra track.
The Offspring released four singles from their most recent album.
Single
One who is not married or does not have a romantic partner.
He went to the party, hoping to meet some friendly singles there.
Single
(cricket) A score of one run.
Single
(baseball) A hit in baseball where the batter advances to first base.
Single
(dominoes) A tile that has a different value (i.e. number of pips) at each end.
Single
A bill valued at $1.
I don't have any singles, so you'll have to make change.
Single
(UK) A one-way ticket.
Single
(Canadian football) A score of one point, awarded when a kicked ball is dead within the non-kicking team's end zone or has exited that end zone.
Single
A game with one player on each side, as in tennis.
Single
One of the reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness.
Single
A handful of gleaned grain.
Single
A floating-point number having half the precision of a double-precision value.
Single
(film) A shot of only one character.
Single
A single cigarette.
Single
Synonym of single-driver.
Single
To identify or select one member of a group from the others; generally used with out, either to single out or to single (something) out.
Eddie singled out his favorite marble from the bag.
Yvonne always wondered why Ernest had singled her out of the group of giggling girls she hung around with.
Single
(baseball) To get a hit that advances the batter exactly one base.
Pedro singled in the bottom of the eighth inning, which, if converted to a run, would put the team back into contention.
Single
(agriculture) To thin out.
Single
(of a horse) To take the irregular gait called singlefoot.
Single
To sequester; to withdraw; to retire.
Single
To take alone, or one by one; to single out.
Single
(transitive) To reduce (a railway) to single track.
Single
One only, as distinguished from more than one; consisting of one alone; individual; separate; as, a single star.
No single man is born with a right of controlling the opinions of all the rest.
Single
Alone; having no companion.
Who single hast maintained,Against revolted multitudes, the causeOf truth.
Single
Hence, unmarried; as, a single man or woman.
Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.
Single chose to live, and shunned to wed.
Single
Not doubled, twisted together, or combined with others; as, a single thread; a single strand of a rope.
Single
Performed by one person, or one on each side; as, a single combat.
These shifts refuted, answer thy appellant, . . . Who now defles thee thrice ti single fight.
Single
Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.
Simple ideas are opposed to complex, and single to compound.
Single
Not deceitful or artful; honest; sincere.
I speak it with a single heart.
Single
Simple; not wise; weak; silly.
He utters such single matter in so infantly a voice.
Single
To sequester; to withdraw; to retire.
An agent singling itself from consorts.
Single
To take alone, or one by one.
Men . . . commendable when they are singled.
Single
To take the irrregular gait called single-foot; - said of a horse. See Single-foot.
Many very fleet horses, when overdriven, adopt a disagreeable gait, which seems to be a cross between a pace and a trot, in which the two legs of one side are raised almost but not quite, simultaneously. Such horses are said to single, or to be single-footed.
Single
A unit; one; as, to score a single.
Single
The reeled filaments of silk, twisted without doubling to give them firmness.
Single
A handful of gleaned grain.
Single
A game with but one player on each side; - usually in the plural.
Single
A hit by a batter which enables him to reach first base only.
Single
A base hit on which the batter stops safely at first base
Single
The smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number;
He has the one but will need a two and three to go with it
They had lunch at one
Single
Hit a one-base hit
Single
Existing alone or consisting of one entity or part or aspect or individual;
Upon the hill stood a single tower
Had but a single thought which was to escape
A single survivor
A single serving
A single lens
A single thickness
Single
Used of flowers having usually only one row or whorl of petals;
Single chrysanthemums resemble daisies and may have more than one row of petals
Single
Characteristic of or meant for a single person or thing;
An individual serving
Separate rooms
Single occupancy
A single bed
Single
Having uniform application;
A single legal code for all
Single
Not divided among or brought to bear on more than one object or objective;
Judging a contest with a single eye
A single devotion to duty
Undivided affection
Gained their exclusive attention
Single
Involved two individuals;
Single combat
Single
Individual and distinct;
Pegged down each separate branch to the earth
A gift for every single child
Common Curiosities
How does solo affect the perception of an activity?
Solo emphasizes independence and the personal capability of the individual involved.
What are examples of single in everyday usage?
Single can be used to describe a person's marital status or something designed for one person.
What does solo typically imply?
Solo typically implies performing or undertaking a task alone.
Is single always related to marital status?
No, single can also refer to being one in number or designed for one.
Can "single" refer to something other than marital status or quantity?
Yes, "single" can also refer to something that is considered unique or exceptional in some way, as in "a single example" of extraordinary craftsmanship.
Can solo be used in professional contexts?
Yes, solo can describe tasks or projects completed independently.
How does the term "solo" influence the experience of travel?
Traveling solo typically highlights the traveler’s autonomy, allowing them to make decisions independently and experience places without the influence or compromise that might come with traveling companions.
What is the difference between a solo performance and a single performance?
A solo performance involves one person performing alone, emphasizing their individual talent or contribution, whereas a single performance can refer to one instance of a performance, regardless of the number of performers.
In what contexts is "single" preferred over "solo"?
"Single" is often preferred when referring to quantitative aspects (like a single item) or marital status, whereas "solo" is more about the mode of action or performance by one individual.
Is there a difference in the emotional connotation between "solo" and "single"?
Yes, "solo" often carries a connotation of independence and self-reliance, possibly even empowerment, while "single" can vary widely but often focuses on the state of being alone or unattached, which can have either positive or negative connotations depending on the context.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
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Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
