seclude
Americanverb (used with object)
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to place in or withdraw into solitude; remove from social contact and activity, etc.
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to isolate; shut off; keep apart.
They secluded the garden from the rest of the property.
verb
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to remove from contact with others
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to shut off or screen from view
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of seclude
1425–75; late Middle English < Latin sēclūdere, equivalent to sē- se- + -clūdere, combining form of claudere to close
Explanation
When you seclude someone, you separate them from other people. A Buddhist monk might seclude himself in a remote place to meditate alone for several weeks. Most people use the verb seclude to talk about shutting themselves away from society or keeping themselves separate from others. An eccentric family might seclude itself from the neighbors, for example. The root is Latin, secludere, which means "shut off or confine," from se, "apart" and cludere, "to shut." Originally, seclude was used to mean "to enclose or confine," and by the 1620s it also meant "to keep from public view."
Vocabulary lists containing seclude
Case Closed: Clud, Clus
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se (apart)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Gore and Bush were able to seclude themselves at home, refraining from public comment for days on end.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 5, 2020
Noren curtains in earth tones seclude diners from the busy street outside and from the kitchen.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 12, 2019
“I realised that if I was able to seclude myself and rest, the gentle high would progress into a dreamlike state where I would experience visions,” she writes in Period Power.
From The Guardian ● May 29, 2019
It’s a different world here in Santa Cruz, an easier place to seclude yourself, to find some anonymity.
From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2018
When he did accept such invitations, he invariably tried to seclude himself in a corner of the room, or behind a curtain.
From 'Phiz' (Hablot Knight Browne), a Memoir. by Fred. G. Kitton
Since 1912, Puyi had lived a secluded life inside the Forbidden City, head of the “Little Court” that continued to defer to him as the Son of Heaven.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
For this bookstore is also concealing a speakeasy of sorts, a secluded cafe and bar with multiple themed spaces and a two-story tree with glowing books growing out of its branches.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
La Réserve private homes Opening in October on Praslin island, La Réserve Seychelles features six secluded villas, each with a pool, tropical garden, beach access and butler services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Outside, the ranch is surrounded by lush landscaping, while a tranquil reflection pond adds to its secluded, countryside atmosphere—despite the estate’s location in the heart of Los Angeles.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
When they were finished, Thomas headed back to the secluded place where he’d slept the night before, in the corner behind the Deadheads.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
My other concern is people are secluding their lives with people who either think like them or more extreme forms of it.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2023
“Yep, I’m watching Mr. Eldridge,” one scout says on the phone before secluding himself from earshot.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 12, 2023
They might be secluding themselves on Instagram or LinkedIn, or experimenting with the visual anarchy of TikTok.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2023
Its next resident will find a private dock, tall trees secluding the pool and spa, and “an effortless, single level indoor/outdoor living experience.”
From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2022
The blindness had been sent for the purpose of secluding him from outward distractions and enabling him to concentrate himself on the objects presented to the inner eye.
From The Life of St. Paul by James Stalker
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
