'anchoretic' originates from Medieval Latin, specifically the word 'anchoreticus,' where 'anchoreta' meant 'recluse' or 'hermit.'

'anchoreticus' changed from the Greek word 'anachōrētēs' (meaning 'one who has retired'), and eventually became the modern English word 'anchoretic.'

Initially, it meant 'pertaining to a religious recluse,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.