hermitage

1 of 2

noun (1)

her·​mit·​age ˈhər-mə-tij 

1

a

: the habitation of a hermit

b

: a secluded residence or private retreat : hideaway

c

: monastery

2

: the life or condition of a hermit

Hermitage

2 of 2

noun (2)

Her·​mi·​tage ˌ(h)er-mi-ˈtäzh 

: a red or white Rhone valley wine

Did you know?

Hermitage is of course related to hermit, a word for one who retreats from society to live in solitude, often for religious reasons. The origins of hermitage and hermit are found in Greek. Erēmos (meaning "desolate") gave rise to erēmia (meaning "desert") and eventually to the noun erēmitēs, which was used for a person living in the desert, or, more broadly, for a recluse. The word journeyed from Greek to Latin to Anglo-French to Middle English, where it eventually transformed into hermit. The related hermitage was borrowed into English from Anglo-French in the 14th century. A hermitage can be the dwelling of a hermit (e.g., a mountain shack or a monastery) or simply a secluded home.

Synonyms of hermitage

Noun (1)

• hideout
• lair
• nest

Examples of hermitage in a Sentence

Noun (1)

On weekends he escapes to his hermitage in the mountains.

the artist's desert hermitage was a small adobe house at the end of a long dusty road

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The relief was originally stolen in 2010 as part of a coordinated robbery of six hermitages, two churches, and the monastery in Navarre. — Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 4 Aug. 2026

These people would then come to your hermitage to suggest an alternative. — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026

Noun

The excavation began in February 2025, in anticipation of future housing development near a modern-day hermitage, according to a statement from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP). — Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 June 2025

The Abbey of Saint Gall, originally a hermitage south of Lake Constance, was founded by one of his companions, Saint Gall (or Gallus). — Bernd Roeck june 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

Tain-l'Ermitage, commune in France

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1680, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

hermitage

noun

her·​mit·​age ˈhər-mət-ij 

: a hermit's home

also : a residence screened or hidden from view : retreat