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
Others, who described him as somewhere between a quiet man and an odd recluse, didn’t want to give their names. Richard Ruelas, The Arizona Republic, 26 Oct. 2024 But there are only two venomous spiders native to Texas — the brown recluse and the black widow, and their bites are rarely fatal. Brandi D. Addison, Austin American-Statesman, 6 June 2024 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 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 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

recluse

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

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