hermit

noun

her·​mit ˈhər-mət How to pronounce hermit (audio)
1
a
: one that retires from society and lives in solitude especially for religious reasons : recluse
b
obsolete : beadsman
2
: a spiced molasses cookie
hermitism noun

Examples of hermit in a Sentence

St. Jerome is said to have spent two years as a hermit in the desert, searching for inner peace.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
His exhortations are driven by a cynical bluster, a loss of faith in mankind; that seems to be the real reason that he’s abandoned Germany to live as a tropical hermit. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Sep. 2024 The hermit nation transported its special forces fighters on seven Russian ships earlier in October, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said in a press release on Friday. Yoonjung Seo, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024 Despite being a commited hermit, Cheng likes to share his creative output online. Denni Hu, WWD, 9 Oct. 2024 The document also tells the life of high-ranking Bulgarian cleric and hermit St. Theodosius of Tarnovo, who lived during that time. Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hermit 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English heremite, eremite, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin eremita, from Late Greek erēmitēs, from Greek, adjective, living in the desert, from erēmia desert, from erēmos desolate

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of hermit was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hermit

Cite this Entry

“Hermit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hermit. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hermit

noun
her·​mit ˈhər-mət How to pronounce hermit (audio)
1
: one that lives apart from others especially for religious reasons : recluse
2
: a spiced molasses cookie

More from Merriam-Webster on hermit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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