Reclusive

/rɪˈkluːsɪv/ adjective

Definition

Preferring to be alone and avoiding other people or social situations.

Etymology

From Latin 'recludere' meaning 'to shut away,' from 're-' (back) + 'claudere' (to close). Originally described monks in isolated cells.

Kelly Says

The word comes from Christian monks who literally locked themselves in cells—some medieval monks barely left their rooms for decades, pioneering what we'd now call 'extreme introversion' for spiritual reasons.

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