Seclude

Seclude is a transitive verb meaning to place in a private or isolated setting, or to withdraw someone from contact with others. It can also describe the act of sheltering someone from public view or keeping oneself apart from ordinary life. The term often implies intentional action to create privacy or distance.

Etymology: From Middle English secluden, from Old French secluder, ultimately from Latin secludere, formed from se- "apart" and claudere "to close."

Usage: Seclude is used for physical settings, such as a secluded garden or beach, and for personal withdrawal, as when a writer seeks seclusion to focus. In everyday language, people speak of seeking seclusion for study, contemplation, or privacy, and describe places as secluded when they are off the beaten path or shielded from view.

Seclusion, the noun, denotes the state or act of secluding, or a private space made for quiet or privacy. Secluded, the adjective, describes something that offers or embodies privacy and isolation from surrounding activities.

Relations to related terms: Seclude differs from isolate in implying intentional action or design, whereas isolation can result from circumstances. Seclusion is often valued for privacy but can carry connotations of loneliness if imposed or prolonged. See also privacy, retreat, solitude.