Reserved coin after strange rite (8)
I believe the answer is:
reticent
'reserved' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'coin after strange rite' is the wordplay.
'coin' becomes 'cent' (cent is a kind of coin).
'after' says to put letters next to each other.
'strange' is an anagram indicator.
'rite' is an anagram of 'reti'.
'cent' after 'reti' is 'RETICENT'.
(Other definitions for reticent that I've seen before include "Close-lipped" , "Holding back" , "Reserved - taciturn" , "Backward in coming forward" , "Not wanting to talk" .)