recluse

1 of 2

adjective

re·​cluse ˈre-ˌklüs 

ri-ˈklüs,

ˈre-ˌklüz 

: 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.

Synonyms

Noun

• anchorite
• eremite
• hermit
• isolate
• solitary

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

Noun

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

How to identify a brown recluse Purdue's guide says a mature brown recluse spider's leg span is about the size of a half dollar. —Jenny Porter Tilley, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Sep. 2024

Everyone wanted to know about the recluse who had so adeptly captured 20th-century America. —Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 July 2024

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

Phrases Containing recluse

• brown recluse spider

Kids Definition

recluse

noun

re·​cluse

ˈrek-ˌlüs,

ri-ˈklüs

: a person who lives away from others

reclusive

ri-ˈklü-siv

-ziv

adjective