reclusive

Reclusive is an adjective used to describe a person who tends to withdraw from social life and avoid regular contact with others, often living in solitude. The term can indicate a voluntary, long-term preference for privacy or avoidance of public attention, or it can reflect a temporary withdrawal in response to events. Reclusive behavior is distinct from clinical conditions; it is most often a lifestyle choice, sometimes associated with privacy, fame, or personal temperament.

Etymology: The adjective derives from the noun recluse, which comes from Old French recluse and ultimately from Latin recludere "to shut up, close off." The word thus conveys the sense of shutting oneself away from others.

Forms and usage: The noun forms include reclusiveness and reclusion; a person who is reclusive is a recluse or hermit. The term emphasizes behavior and lifestyle rather than a fixed personality diagnosis. In everyday usage it can describe someone who avoids media, crowds, or public life over extended periods.

Context and examples: Notable figures often described as reclusive include author J. D. Salinger and novelist Thomas Pynchon, both known for limited public appearances. Historical examples such as certain poets and artists have likewise been described as reclusive. In contemporary discourse, the label is usually applied to individuals who intentionally limit contact with the outside world rather than to those who are merely shy or introverted.

Related terms: Synonyms include withdrawn, solitary, and secluded; antonyms include outgoing and gregarious. Reclusiveness can be seen as a spectrum from a preference for solitude to a deliberate withdrawal from public life, and is not a clinical term in itself.