Standalone describes something that works completely on its own, without needing to be connected to or combined with anything else. A standalone computer doesn't need to be networked to other machines to function. A standalone building sits by itself rather than being part of a complex. A standalone story makes sense without reading anything that came before or after it.

Think of the difference between a chapter in a series and a standalone book. If you pick up the third book in a fantasy series, you might feel lost without reading the first two. But a standalone novel tells its complete story from beginning to end in one book. Similarly, some video games are standalone titles that contain everything you need to play, while others are expansions that require you to own the original game first.

You might see it written as stand-alone with a hyphen, but both versions mean the same thing. When describing software, products, or creative works, standalone tells you that what you're getting is complete and independent, ready to use or enjoy without requiring anything extra.