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Added 9 October 2026

recluse

/ɹɪˈkluːs/ noun

Latin root: reclūdere Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about recluse at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

One who lives in solitude.

adjective

Withdrawn from society; seeking solitude.
lived an unsocial reclusive life

Origin

From Old French reclus, past participle of reclure, from Latin reclūdere (“to disclose, to open”), from re- + claudō (“close”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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