'anchorite' originates from Medieval Latin, specifically the word 'anchorita', which came from Greek 'anachōrētēs', where 'ana-' meant 'back' and 'chōrein' meant 'to withdraw'.

'anchorite' changed from the Greek word 'anachōrētēs' to the Medieval Latin 'anchorita', and eventually became the modern English word 'anchorite'.

Initially, it meant 'one who withdraws from the world for religious reasons', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.