seclude
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to place in or withdraw into solitude; remove from social contact and activity, etc.
-
to isolate; shut off; keep apart.
They secluded the garden from the rest of the property.
verb
-
to remove from contact with others
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
se (apart)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
At one point, he suggests that to help make up her mind she go away from London, where they live, and seclude herself in a cottage in Wales.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 22, 2018
She suggested he seclude himself at Yaddo, the artists’ colony in upstate New York.
From New York Times ● Nov. 6, 2017
It sells anonymous offshore companies that help the owners seclude their business dealings.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2017
They don’t seclude them completely from their family.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 10, 2015
I had never done any thing to seclude me from an Establishment in my own Country.
While the property boasts far more outdoor space than their Beverly Hills abode, for those seeking a private, secluded retreat in California, the couple’s former Golden State dwelling could well be the perfect place.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
The secluded beauty spot sold at auction for £20,000 in September 2024 to Leisure Estate Investments Ltd, which has discouraged public access because of "inherent safety risks".
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Perched on a hilltop beneath the Aegibong Peace Ecopark observatory where telescopes peek into the secluded state, the shop has drawn tens of thousands from South Korea and abroad since opening in November 2024.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
But another Nantucket exists too: one of quaint cobblestone streets, sunsets that have to be seen to be believed and secluded beaches where you can spend hours without seeing another soul.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
A heron looked up at them, curious but not afraid, before he flew to a more secluded spot.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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
A stroke of palsy deprived her of her accustomed elasticity of spirits, and, secluding herself from society, she became silent and sad.
From Madame Roland, Makers of History by Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
