reclusion

noun

re·​clu·​sion ri-ˈklü-zhən How to pronounce reclusion (audio)
: the state of being recluse

Examples of reclusion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Discretion had devolved into reclusion, privacy into withdrawal. Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 Over the next decade, D’Angelo would retreat into reclusion and heavy drinking and drug use. Andrew R. Chow, Time, 14 Oct. 2025 His reclusion became the basis for podcasts, tabloid reports, social media chatter. Jason Sheeler, Peoplemag, 29 July 2024 In contrast to his bold designs, he was known for his ascetic lifestyle of few possessions and periods of reclusion in France, where he was taken a boy with his mother in the late 1930s after his father was killed in the Spanish Civil War for opposing the right-wing forces of Gen. Francisco Franco. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2023 Home reclusion has definitely made notable shifts in consumers' dressing habits. Yanie Durocher, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2021 Caine’s miserable and sharp-witted author just wants to live out his days in peace with a bottle of scotch, a cigar and his orange tabby cat, but Plaza’s hopeful editor pulls him out of his reclusion. Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2019 With the war long over, Homer carried it with him still, to deeper and deeper reclusion. BostonGlobe.com, 4 Oct. 2019 In his five years as president, Mr. Rouhani has tried to guide the Islamic Republic out of reclusion, shaping it into a more economically open country. Asa Fitch, WSJ, 9 May 2018

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reclusion was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Reclusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reclusion. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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