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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
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And a cinematic journey into the hidden world of a reclusive Finnish artist, Days of Wonder by Karin Pennanen, was honored as the best international documentary at Tallinn. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025 Great Big Beautiful Life follows two rival writers, Alice Scott and Hayden Anderson who are each given a one-month trial run to write the biography of a reclusive former socialite, Margaret Ives, per a synopsis. Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025 The limited series co-stars Matthew Rhys as Nile Jarvis, a reclusive New York real estate heir widely suspected of murdering his first wife who decides to unburden himself to a suspicious interlocutor. Alison Herman, Variety, 13 Nov. 2025 Described as Taxi Driver for the internet age, Iconoclast follows a reclusive young man whose dangerous obsession with a live-streaming influencer increasingly erodes his grip on reality. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reclusive

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of reclusive was in 1600

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Cite this Entry

“Reclusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reclusive. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.

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