a person who lives in seclusion, esp a religious recluse; hermit
Derived forms
anchoress (ˈanchoress)
feminine noun
Word origin
C15: from Medieval Latin anchorīta, from Late Latin anachōrēta, from Greek anakhōrētēs, from anakhōrein to retire, withdraw, from khōra a space
anchorite in American English
(ˈæŋkəˌraɪt)
noun
a person who lives alone and apart from society for religious meditation; hermit; recluse
: also ˈanchoˌret (ˈæŋkəˌrɛt; ˈæŋkəˈrɪt)
Derived forms
anchoritic (ˌanchoˈritic) (ˌæŋkəˈrɪtɪk)
adjective or ˌanchoˈretic (ˌæŋkəˈrɛtɪk)
Word origin
ME < OFr anachorete < LL(Ec) anachoreta < LGr anachōrētēs, one retired < Gr anachōrein < ana-, back + chōrein, to retire < IE base *ĝhē-, ĝhēi, leave behind, go1
Examples of 'anchorite' in a sentence
anchorite
That didn't mean I began to live like an anchorite; far from it: I suppose I will always be true to my nature as a bon vivant.
Adair, Tom (Intro) THREE KINDS OF KISSING - SCOTTISH SHORT STORIES (1993)
After all, she wasn't an anchorite - or was it an eremite - with her thoughts as her raison d'être.
Aird, Catherine A DEAD LIBERTY (1993)
Synonyms of 'anchorite'
hermit, recluse, eremite
More Synonyms of anchorite
(noun)
Definition
a person who chooses to live in isolation for religious reasons
Synonyms
hermit
He lived like a hermit despite his fortune in shares and property.
recluse
She became a recluse for the remainder of her life.
eremite
Additional synonyms
in the sense of eremite
Definition
a Christian hermit
Synonyms
hermit,
solitary,
recluse,
anchorite
in the sense of recluse
Definition
a person who lives alone and avoids people
She became a recluse for the remainder of her life.