'anchorite' originates from Late Latin, specifically the word 'anachorita', ultimately from Greek 'anachōrētēs' where the prefix 'ana-' meant 'away' and the root 'chōreō' (or 'chōrētēs') related to withdrawing or going apart.

'anchorite' changed from Greek 'anachōrētēs' to Late Latin 'anachorita', then passed into Old French (e.g. 'anchorite') and Middle English before becoming the modern English word 'anchorite'.

Initially it meant 'one who withdraws' (from society); over time it came to mean specifically 'a religious hermit living in seclusion'.