Meaning & use
Soledad
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
A Spanish feminine first name that comes from the word for solitude.
Grammar: A given name, always capitalized: Soledad is my cousin.
Patterns
- Soledad Smith
Soledad opened the door and welcomed us in.
My aunt Soledad grew up in a small town near Madrid.
The teacher called out, "Soledad, please read the next line."
proper nounproperAmerican
A city in Monterey County, California, in the Salinas Valley.
Grammar: A place name, used without the.
Patterns
- in Soledad
- near Soledad
Soledad lies in the Salinas Valley, an area known for farming.
We stopped for lunch in Soledad on the drive south.
Many families in Soledad work in the vegetable fields.
nouncountable
The Spanish word for solitude or loneliness, found in the names of places and devotions.
Grammar: A Spanish noun; in English it appears mainly in names and titles.
Patterns
- La Soledad
The church was named for Our Lady of Soledad.
The poem speaks of soledad as both burden and peace.
Common combinations
- Soledad Mountain
- We hiked up Soledad Mountain to see the city lights.
- Our Lady of Soledad
- The procession carries a statue of Our Lady of Soledad.
- Soledad, California
- Soledad, California, is a farming town in the Salinas Valley.
- Soledad Mission
- The Soledad Mission was founded by Spanish priests.
- named Soledad
- She has a friend named Soledad who teaches Spanish.
Synonyms and how they differ
- solitude
- Solitude is the English word for being alone, often peaceful, and is the direct meaning of Spanish soledad.
- loneliness
- Loneliness stresses the sad feeling of being alone, which soledad can also include.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: Soledad or solitude?
Soledad vs solitude
In English, solitude is the ordinary word for being alone, while Soledad is mostly a name.
Practice
The Spanish word soledad is closest in meaning to which English word?
Choose one answer.
Soledad means solitude, the state of being alone. Solution, soldier and salute look similar but have unrelated meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Soledad”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.