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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On the ground in the Russian border region of Kursk, where North Korean soldiers helped repel Ukraine’s incursion last year, the reclusive state’s soldiers are reportedly living in dugouts, fighting – and dying – alongside Russian troops. Will Ripley, CNN Money, 11 July 2025 Recluse tells the story of Joan, a solitary audio engineer who returns to her family’s decaying country estate after receiving a call from her ailing father, an acclaimed but reclusive artist rumored to have dabbled in the occult. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 June 2025 While these patterns can contribute to reclusive behaviors, many of them help celebrities keep their sense of sanity in a world of chaos. 4. Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025 Farmer will be hoping for more Ring alerts from his reclusive neighbor in the not-too-distant future. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 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 29 Jul. 2025.

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