Vocabulary in context
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Reclusive
Avoiding the company of others; preferring to live in solitude or seclusion.
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Imagine This
Imagine a writer who never attends public events, living in a quiet cabin in the woods, painting by candlelight and speaking to no one except a friendly dog.
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Sounds Like
rih-KLOO-siv
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Looks Like
recluse
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Remember This
Reclusive describes a personality trait or behavior. It is related to the noun recluse; both derive from Latin recludere 'to shut up' (via Old French reclu).
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Other Forms
reclusivenessnoun
reclusenoun
reclusivelyadverb
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Connect With
withdrawn, isolated, secluded, hermit, seclusion, aloof
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Note
Do not confuse with 'exclusive' or 'seclusive' (not the same). Reclusive refers to social withdrawal, not being exclusive in a group.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The reclusive author rarely gave interviews and preferred to work in a quiet studio.
- A reclusive lifestyle can make it difficult for friends to maintain contact.
Synonyms
withdrawnisolatedsecludedhermitlikerecluse-like
Antonyms
sociableoutgoinggregarious
Etymology
From the noun recluse, which comes from Old French reclu, from Latin reclusus 'shut up' (past participle of recludere 'to shut away'). The adjective reclusive forms from this noun with the suffix -ive.
Mnemonic
RE-CLOSE-ive: A reclusive person is one who closes themselves off again and again from others.
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Conditional
adjectiveSubject to one or more conditions; dependent on something else being true or fulfilled.
Contend
verbTo strive or compete in a contest or conflict; to assert or argue a point.
Insist
verbTo demand something forcefully or to assert something firmly, often with little tolerance for disagreement.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Aloof
adjectiveNot friendly or forthcoming; distant in manner or behavior.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.
Adamant
adjectiveRigid in opinion or purpose; not willing to change one's mind or position.
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