1
a
: being the only one
she was her mother's sole support
b
: having no sharer
2
: functioning independently and without assistance or interference
let conscience be the sole judge
3
: belonging exclusively or otherwise limited to one usually specified individual, unit, or group
4
: not married
—used chiefly of women
5
archaic
: having no companion : solitary
1
a
: the undersurface of a foot
b
: the part of an item of footwear on which the sole rests and upon which the wearer treads
2
: the usually flat or flattened bottom or lower part of something or the base on which something rests
soled; soling
1
: to furnish with a sole
sole a shoe
2
: to place the sole of (a golf club) on the ground
: any of various flatfishes (family Soleidae) having a small mouth, small or rudimentary fins, and small eyes placed close together and including important food fishes (such as the European Dover sole)
also
: any of various mostly market flatfishes (such as lemon sole) of other families (such as Pleuronectidae)
Synonyms
Examples of sole in a Sentence
Adjective
He became the sole heir to the property.
The sole aim of the program is to help the poor.
She was the sole survivor of the tragedy.
Icy roads were the sole cause of the accident.
He has sole jurisdiction of the area.
Verb
My shoes need to be soled.
Recent Examples on the Web
Majd Al-Waheidi, NPR, 5 May 2024
In between the early hits co-written with Liz Rose and her ultra-collaborative pop era, Speak Now is the only album on which Swift is the sole songwriter.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 5 May 2024
During his sole appearance as a senior, he was pinned in his first match and lost 7-2 in the consolation round.
—Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2024
Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 3 May 2024
This Federal statute contrasts with the claims of therapeutic benefits of cannabis’ biochemical constituents such as cannabidiol and THC (tetra-hydro-cannabinol) when the sole FDA indication for their use is a rare childhood (Lennox-Gasteau) seizure disorder.
—Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, TIME, 3 May 2024
The co-proprietor of the Felix Culpa production company also became the sole owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises and the late performer’s iconic Graceland estate in Memphis after her mother’s death in 2023.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 2 May 2024
Russia for now appears to be stiff-arming the idea of nonproliferation talks with Washington, citing U.S. support for Ukraine, even as the sole remaining arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia – the New START Treaty – will expire in February 2026.
—Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2024
The Interviews Between Lale Sokolov and Heather Morris The book is written in a third-person point of view, with Lale serving as the all-seeing narrator and sole protagonist.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
Irene Kim, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2024
Stiff Soles and Toe Springs Another way traditional shoes can also inhibit toe flexibility is through the design of the sole.
—Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2024
But there are more details, too, like a platform sole and antiqued brass tunnel eyelets for the laces — adding a subtle steampunk flair.
—Olivia Muenter, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024
The virus can find its way into barns via dust particles or on the sole of a farmer’s boot.
—Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
The faux laces are stretchy and flexible for those with wider feet, and the sole has anti-slip traction.
—Lauren Fischer, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2024
The plush lining alleviates pressure, and a sturdy sole provides balance and stability.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 27 Mar. 2024
This is a true archival shoe, featuring a suede and fabric upper with contrasting details in white as well as a small pop of red along the sole.
—Lucrezia Malavolta, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024
The inner sole is also made of memory foam so you may be tempted to stay in them all day.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2023
Adjective
Amina was the sole Israeli civilian critically injured by Iran's attack, but her wounding wasn't entirely by chance.
—Majd Al-Waheidi, NPR, 5 May 2024
In between the early hits co-written with Liz Rose and her ultra-collaborative pop era, Speak Now is the only album on which Swift is the sole songwriter.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 5 May 2024
During his sole appearance as a senior, he was pinned in his first match and lost 7-2 in the consolation round.
—Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Tribune, 5 May 2024
Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 3 May 2024
This Federal statute contrasts with the claims of therapeutic benefits of cannabis’ biochemical constituents such as cannabidiol and THC (tetra-hydro-cannabinol) when the sole FDA indication for their use is a rare childhood (Lennox-Gasteau) seizure disorder.
—Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, TIME, 3 May 2024
The co-proprietor of the Felix Culpa production company also became the sole owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises and the late performer’s iconic Graceland estate in Memphis after her mother’s death in 2023.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 2 May 2024
Russia for now appears to be stiff-arming the idea of nonproliferation talks with Washington, citing U.S. support for Ukraine, even as the sole remaining arms control agreement between the U.S. and Russia – the New START Treaty – will expire in February 2026.
—Sarah Matusek, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 May 2024
The Interviews Between Lale Sokolov and Heather Morris The book is written in a third-person point of view, with Lale serving as the all-seeing narrator and sole protagonist.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024
Noun
The Dew Drop Mule, for example, features gradient fabric at the sole, and the nature of the fabric ensures that no two pairs will ever be alike.
—Irene Kim, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2024
Stiff Soles and Toe Springs Another way traditional shoes can also inhibit toe flexibility is through the design of the sole.
—Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 11 Apr. 2024
But there are more details, too, like a platform sole and antiqued brass tunnel eyelets for the laces — adding a subtle steampunk flair.
—Olivia Muenter, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024
The virus can find its way into barns via dust particles or on the sole of a farmer’s boot.
—Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
The faux laces are stretchy and flexible for those with wider feet, and the sole has anti-slip traction.
—Lauren Fischer, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2024
The plush lining alleviates pressure, and a sturdy sole provides balance and stability.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 27 Mar. 2024
This is a true archival shoe, featuring a suede and fabric upper with contrasting details in white as well as a small pop of red along the sole.
—Lucrezia Malavolta, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024
The inner sole is also made of memory foam so you may be tempted to stay in them all day.
—Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Rubber soled and perfect for a boat my favorite espadrille maker is famed Spanish house, Castañer.
—Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sole
Cite this Entry
“Sole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sole. Accessed 9 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sole
1 of 4 noun1
: the underside of a foot
2
: the part of footwear on which the sole of the foot rests
soled
adjective
ˈsōld
sole
2 of 4 verb
soled; soling
: to furnish with a sole
sole shoes
sole
3 of 4 noun
: any of various flatfishes that have a small mouth, small fins, and small closely set eyes and that include some fishes used for food
sole
4 of 4 adjective1
archaic
: having no companion : alone
2
a
: having no sharer
sole owner
b
: being the only one
3
: acting independently and without assistance or interference
the sole judge
4
: belonging only to the one person, unit, or group named
given sole authority
soleness
noun
Etymology
Noun
Middle English sole "the underside of the foot or shoe," from early French sole (same meaning), from Latin solea "sandal"
Noun
Middle English sole "a type of flatfish," from early French sole (same meaning), from Latin solea "sandal, a flatfish"
Adjective
Middle English sole "alone," from early French seul (same meaning), from Latin solus "alone" — related to desolate, solitude, solo
Medical Definition
sole
noun1
: the undersurface of a foot
2
: the somewhat concave plate of moderately dense horn that covers the lower surface of the coffin bone of the horse, partly surrounds the frog, and is bounded externally by the wall
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