What does "the sole" mean here?
-Do you think only children need more friends or less friends?
-I don't know about needing friends but I do think that they can need a lot of attention.I think maybe if they've been the sole...yeah.

Is this sentence unfinished? Is "sole" an adjective or a noun here?

Question

What does "the sole" mean here?
-Do you think only children need more friends or less friends?
-I don't know about needing friends but I do think that they can need a lot of attention.I think maybe if they've been the sole...yeah.

Is this sentence unfinished? Is "sole" an adjective or a noun here?

Answer

Yes, it's an adjective, and the sentence is unfinished. The only time 'sole' is a noun is if it's a species of fish, which is hardly likely in the context!

The sentence might finish '.... if they've been the sole recipient of their parents' affection for their whole lives.' or similar.