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If all of a person's family are dead and he or she is completely alone, how can I describe them with a single word?

With the death of her uncle, the young girl became completely [word here]

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  • I wouldn't use a single word. The young girl lost the last of her family. Commented Nov 25, 2018 at 13:30

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orphaned would also work (with "completely" or "truly"). The word can be used for the state of having no relatives at all and no guardian, as well as the state of having no living parents.

With the death of her uncle, she was completely | truly orphaned.

Or without family.

With the death of her uncle, she was completely without family.

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  • Interesting! I've always thought orphan and orphaned describe someone whose parent(s) is(are) dead.
    – Sara
    Commented Nov 25, 2018 at 13:49
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    It is used that way 99% of the time. But you could say "When her uncle died, she was truly orphaned" and it would be understood to mean that she had no one left at all. There is the legal meaning of being the child of parents who are deceased, and the existential/psychological meaning of being alone in the world. Sorry, I had meant to type "with 'completely' ").
    – TimR
    Commented Nov 25, 2018 at 13:50
  • +1 for "orphaned"
    – user45266
    Commented Feb 12, 2019 at 7:17

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