hermit

noun

her·​mit ˈhər-mət How to pronounce hermit (audio)
1
a
: one that retires from society and lives in solitude especially for religious reasons : recluse
b
obsolete : beadsman
2
: a spiced molasses cookie
hermitism noun

Examples of hermit in a Sentence

St. Jerome is said to have spent two years as a hermit in the desert, searching for inner peace.
Recent Examples on the Web The hermit nation transported its special forces fighters on seven Russian ships earlier in October, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a press release on Friday. Yoonjung Seo, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024 Despite being a commited hermit, Cheng likes to share his creative output online. Denni Hu, WWD, 9 Oct. 2024 The document also tells the life of high-ranking Bulgarian cleric and hermit St. Theodosius of Tarnovo, who lived during that time. Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 26 Sep. 2024 Much later, in the ninth century, a hermit named Pelayo is said to have told Teodomiro about a strange shower of bright stars. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hermit 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hermit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English heremite, eremite, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin eremita, from Late Greek erēmitēs, from Greek, adjective, living in the desert, from erēmia desert, from erēmos desolate

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hermit was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hermit

Cite this Entry

“Hermit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hermit. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hermit

noun
her·​mit ˈhər-mət How to pronounce hermit (audio)
1
: one that lives apart from others especially for religious reasons : recluse
2
: a spiced molasses cookie

More from Merriam-Webster on hermit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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