seclusion

noun

se·​clu·​sion si-ˈklü-zhən 

1

: the act of secluding : the condition of being secluded

2

: a secluded or isolated place

seclusive

si-ˈklü-siv 

-ziv

adjective

seclusively adverb

seclusiveness noun

Did you know?

With its prefix se-, "apart", seclusion has the basic meaning of a place or condition that's "closed away". A lone island may be secluded, and its seclusion might be what its owner prizes most about it. Presidents and their staffs may go into seclusion before making critical decisions. Monastery life is purposely secluded, and monks may have taken vows to live lives of seclusion. The deadly brown recluse spider prefers seclusion but is sometimes disturbed by very unlucky people.

Synonyms

• aloneness
• insulation
• isolation
• privacy
• secludedness
• segregation
• separateness
• sequestration
• solitariness
• solitude

Choose the Right Synonym for seclusion

solitude, isolation, seclusion mean the state of one who is alone.

solitude may imply a condition of being apart from all human beings or of being cut off by wish or circumstances from one's usual associates.

a few quiet hours of solitude

isolation stresses detachment from others often involuntarily.

the isolation of the village in winter

seclusion suggests a shutting away or keeping apart from others often connoting deliberate withdrawal from the world or retirement to a quiet life.

lived in pastoral seclusion

Examples of seclusion in a Sentence

the seclusion of women that occurs in some countries

I enjoyed the seclusion of the island.

Recent Examples on the Web

Erica wasn’t abducted but had run away and chosen to live in seclusion with her 21-year-old boyfriend, Andrew (Kyle Clark), less than a mile from her mother’s house. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2024

For the entire 2022-2023 school year, Hazel Park recorded using seclusion 392 times on 34 different students with disabilities, the fifth-highest number of seclusions of all public school districts in the state that year. —Lily Altavena, Detroit Free Press, 6 Aug. 2024

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Goa: Goa, India Concealed in the greenery on the edge of Radhanagar Beach, this 46-acre property in India’s remote Andaman Islands doesn’t need to advertise its seclusion. —Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2024

While Malibu, Miami, and the Hamptons have no shortage of celebrity residents and visitors, there are a lot of A-listers who quietly flock to the low-key seclusion and white sand beaches of the Florida Panhandle, along the southern shore of Walton County and the Santa Rosa Beach area in particular. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin seclusion-, seclusio, from Latin secludere

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing seclusion

• in seclusion

Kids Definition

seclusion

noun

se·​clu·​sion si-ˈklü-zhən 

1

: the act of secluding : the state of being secluded

2

: a secluded place

seclusive

-siv 

-ziv

adjective

seclusively adverb

seclusiveness noun