reclusive
adjective
re·clu·sive
ri-ˈklü-siv 
-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
Sarah Lyall2
: marked by seclusion or retirement : solitary
… sit under the reclusive calm of the acacia tree.—H. E. Bates
H. E. Bates
reclusively
adverb
reclusiveness
noun
Examples of reclusive in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the film, Coel is a reclusive painter who’s hired by the children of a famous artist to pose as his assistant and gain access to a series of fabled canvases to secure their inheritance.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2026
The Guards are likely to make Iran even more reclusive and significantly heighten the crackdown on liberties and dissent.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Indeed, the evening was so odd that even the famously reclusive poet Robinson Jeffers, who rarely attended parties, left home to experience the spectacle for himself.
—Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 30 Mar. 2026
Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz play a couple whose lives start to unravel when Bardem, a star architect, takes on a commission to build a bunker for a reclusive billionaire.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reclusive
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Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 2 Apr. 2026
The Guards are likely to make Iran even more reclusive and significantly heighten the crackdown on liberties and dissent.
—Abbas Al Lawati, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Indeed, the evening was so odd that even the famously reclusive poet Robinson Jeffers, who rarely attended parties, left home to experience the spectacle for himself.
—Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 30 Mar. 2026
Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz play a couple whose lives start to unravel when Bardem, a star architect, takes on a commission to build a bunker for a reclusive billionaire.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reclusive
Cite this Entry
“Reclusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reclusive. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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