reclusive

adjective

re·​clu·​sive ri-ˈklü-siv How to pronounce reclusive (audio)
-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 The episode is the sequel to the first episode of season 4, which followed Daly, portrayed by Jesse Plemons, a reclusive programmer who co-founded a popular massively multiplayer online game. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Rose Glass directed the film, which stars Kristen Stewart as a reclusive gym manager who falls for a bodybuilder. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 At the 2023 Oscars, Fraser won his first Academy Award for best actor in a leading role for his portrayal of Charlie, a 600-lb. reclusive writing instructor who tries to repair his relationship with his estranged teenage daughter, Ellie, in The Whale. Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024 But in time, all of them get involved in the aftermath of Ye Wenjie’s actions, with a conspiracy in the present that includes reclusive billionaire Mike Evans (Jonathan Pryce, also from Thrones) and the enigmatic but dangerous Tatiana (Marlo Kelly). Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2024 John Walker, a groundbreaking, if reclusive, technology entrepreneur and polymath who was a founder and chief executive of Autodesk, the company that brought the ubiquitous AutoCAD software program to the design and architecture masses, died on Feb. 2 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Alex Williams, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 The house had been in the same family from 1929 until 2008, when the reclusive owner died. Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Home security is no longer the exclusive domain of reclusive billionaires with CCTV setups monitoring their estate. PCMAG, 26 Jan. 2024 The reclusive person who has never had many friends does not usually thrive in these places. Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of reclusive was in 1600

Dictionary Entries Near reclusive

Cite this Entry

“Reclusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reclusive. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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