Friendlessness

/ˈfrendləsnəs/ noun

Definition

The state or condition of having no friends; loneliness and social isolation.

Etymology

Compound of 'friend' (Old English 'freond') plus '-less' (Old English 'leas', meaning without) plus '-ness' (forming abstract nouns). The suffix chain creates an abstract concept.

Kelly Says

Friendlessness appears surprisingly often in 19th-century literature as a tragic condition—it reminds us that every generation worries about loneliness, and social connection has always been considered essential to human wellbeing.

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