reclusive

adjective

re·​clu·​sive ri-ˈklü-siv 

-ziv

1

: seeking solitude : retiring from society

a reclusive neighbor

While Stephen King is far from reclusive, he doesn't spend much time promoting his horror-filled novels.

—Sarah Lyall

2

: marked by seclusion or retirement : solitary

… sit under the reclusive calm of the acacia tree.

—H. E. Bates

reclusively adverb

reclusiveness noun

Examples of reclusive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is set in Northern England during the Napoleonic wars, when practical magicians are beings of the past; all except the reclusive Mr Norrell. —Marianne Gordon, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024

A number of things help explain the CEO’s reclusive tendencies. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 18 June 2024

Appealing to the outside world is a tall order for a place so famously reclusive that, for years, a vigilante band called the Bolinas Border Patrol stole road signs on Highway 1 directing travelers into town. —Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2024

Released on Netflix in September 2020, the film revolves around a reclusive gamer, Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in), who locks himself up inside his apartment after realizing that a deadly virus is raging outside. —EW.com, 2 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 2