Read the Latest from M-W
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.
Origin and Etymology of recluse
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
recluse
Definition of recluse
: a person who leads a secluded or solitary life
Examples of recluse in a Sentence
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
First Known Use of recluse
13th century
RECLUSE Defined for English Language Learners
recluse
Definition of recluse for English Language Learners
-
: a person who lives alone and avoids other people
Learn More about recluse
-
See words that rhyme with recluse Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for recluse Spanish Central: Translation of recluse Nglish: Translation of recluse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of recluse for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about recluse
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up recluse? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!