Hermitic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. resembling or relating to a hermit's solitary lifestyle or the practice of withdrawal from society
2. characteristic of someone living in isolation or seclusion, often for religious or spiritual reasons
3. pertaining to the solitary existence or reclusive nature associated with hermits and their devotional practices

Etymology: "Hermitic" is simply "hermit" with the adjective-forming suffix "-ic" added to it, so its meaning follows directly from the noun. "Hermit" itself came into English through Old French "ermite" from Late Latin "eremita", which was borrowed from Greek "erēmitēs", meaning "one who lives in the desert", from "erēmia", "desert" or "solitude". The Greek root is linked to "erēmos", meaning "desolate" or "lonely", which is where the sense of being alone is carried through. The suffix "-ic" comes from Greek "-ikos", a common adjective-forming ending that turns a noun into a description of something belonging to, or characteristic of, that noun. So a hermitic life is one resembling a hermit's: withdrawn, solitary, set apart from company.

Synonyms: reclusive, solitary, secluded, isolated, withdrawn

Antonyms: sociable, gregarious, social, outgoing, friendly