recluse

1 of 2

adjective

re·​cluse ˈre-ˌklüs How to pronounce recluse (audio)
ri-ˈklüs,
ˈre-ˌklüz How to pronounce recluse (audio)
: marked by withdrawal from society : solitary

recluse

2 of 2

noun

: a person who leads a secluded or solitary life

Did you know?

Greta Garbo and Howard Hughes were two of the most famously reclusive celebrities of modern times. She had been a great international star, called the most beautiful woman in the world; he had been an aircraft manufacturer and film producer, with one of the greatest fortunes in the world. It seems that Garbo's reclusiveness resulted from her desire to leave her public with only the youthful image of her face. Hughes was terrified of germs, though that was the least of his problems.

Examples of recluse in a Sentence

Noun My neighbor is a recluse—I only see him about once a year. he was sick of cities and crowds, so he decided to go live by himself in the woods as a recluse
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
And all Holly has to do is pull a little con on ’80s starlet Mariah McKay (Turner), a rich recluse who has faded into a Norma Desmond-like obscurity. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2024 So why is ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ – the pseudonym adopted by the inventor of Bitcoin Bitcoin -2.3% and the blockchain – such a resolute recluse? Sandy Carter, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024 The fortuitous appearance of a double – the depressive recluse Dom (also played by Abel) – seems to offer the perfect decoy. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Aug. 2024 The upcoming series is an anthology exploring the wild and highly unique life of Lee Ralph, a former pro skateboarder turned folk hero and recluse. Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for recluse 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French reclus, literally, shut away, from Late Latin reclusus, past participle of recludere to shut up, from Latin re- + claudere to close — more at close entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of recluse was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near recluse

Cite this Entry

“Recluse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recluse. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

recluse

noun
re·​cluse
ˈrek-ˌlüs,
ri-ˈklüs
: a person who lives away from others
reclusive
ri-ˈklü-siv
-ziv
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on recluse

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!