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ermite

hermit, recluse

noun ehr-MEET Rare
People & Society Community

Origin: Latin eremita, from Greek eremites (desert-dweller), from eremos (desert, solitary)

Usage Note

Ermite is always masculine in standard French. Beyond the religious hermit who withdraws from society for spiritual reasons, the word is used informally for anyone who lives in isolation — vivre en ermite ('to live like a hermit'). The related adjective érémitique (hermit-like, reclusive) appears in literary and religious writing.

Examples

"Il vit comme un ermite depuis sa retraite."

Natural Translation

He has lived like a hermit since his retirement.

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