Synonyms of seclusion

seclusion

noun

si-ˈklü-zhən 

as in solitude

the state of being alone or kept apart from others

she went into seclusion in order to focus entirely on writing her book

Synonyms & Similar Words

• solitude
• privacy
• isolation
• loneliness
• segregation
• aloneness
• separateness
• insulation
• solitariness
• sequestration
• confinement
• secludedness
• retirement
• internment
• vacuum
• withdrawal
• quarantine
• lonesomeness
• incarceration
• ghettoization

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• society
• companionship
• company
• fellowship
• camaraderie
• comradeship

Synonym Chooser

How is the word seclusion distinct from other similar nouns?

The words isolation and solitude are common synonyms of seclusion. While all three words mean "the state of one who is alone," seclusion suggests a shutting away or keeping apart from others often connoting deliberate withdrawal from the world or retirement to a quiet life.

lived in pastoral seclusion

Where would isolation be a reasonable alternative to seclusion?

The synonyms isolation and seclusion are sometimes interchangeable, but isolation stresses detachment from others often involuntarily.

the isolation of the village in winter

When would solitude be a good substitute for seclusion?

The words solitude and seclusion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, solitude may imply a condition of being apart from all human beings or of being cut off by wish or circumstances from one's usual associates.

a few quiet hours of solitude

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of seclusion

Following Murry’s death in 1973, Brian went into seclusion, existing on drugs and overeating, building a sandbox in his home for his piano, lying in bed all day, sometimes emerging in only a bathrobe. —Roy Trakin, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2025

For total seclusion, reserve one of the 25 sites in the park’s boat-in campground (from $40). —Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 22 May 2025

Two have private plunge pools, and a detached suite is notched into the hillside below the main house for maximum seclusion. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2025

The Douglas County school board voted in January to ban seclusion rooms, but not seclusion. —Melanie Asmar, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025