Learn English – Living by himself vs Living on his own

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What is the difference between these sentences below in terms of meaning?

  1. He lives by himself.

  2. He lives on his own

If you ask me, the first sentence connotes that he doesn't have a housemate/wife, like being alone at home .The second sentence connotes that he doesn't have girlfriend/boyfriend or friends/family who support him when he needs, like feeling lonely.

Best Answer

They can be somewhat interchanged; that is, they have similar meanings that in some contexts are equivalent, but in others they have a different connotation.

"living by himself" tends towards meaning without anyone in the same house.

He finished college where he shared a small apartment with three guys and found a loft apartment just a few blocks from his job. With his parent's support, He's living by himself and prefers it that way.

"living on his own" tends towards meaning without requiring support.

After living with his parents most of his life with his mother doing his laundry and cooking his meals, he finally moved out and started living on his own. He does his own laundry and cooks his own food, but he shares an apartment with a co-worker.

These examples show where one phrase works but the other doesn't.

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