SKIP TO CONTENT

esoteric

/ˌˈɛsəˌtɛrɪk/

/ɛsəˈtɛrɪk/

Other forms: esoterically

Pssst... do you know the secret handshake? If you haven't been brought into the inner circle of those with special knowledge, esoteric things will remain a mystery to you.

In the olden days, achieving esoteric knowledge meant getting initiated into the mystical arts, learning secrets unknown to regular folks. Now when a subject is called esoteric it's usually something not so mystical but still hard to penetrate: financial accounting might seem esoteric for people who get easily stumped filling out their tax forms. Americans might find the sport of cricket to be esoteric, but the rules of baseball can be just as impenetrable to outsiders. The infield fly rule? Totally esoteric.

Definitions of esoteric
  1. adjective
    confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle
    “a compilation of esoteric philosophical theories”
    Synonyms:
    abstruse, deep, recondite
    difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge
    arcane
    requiring secret or mysterious knowledge
    cabalistic, cryptic, cryptical, kabbalistic, qabalistic, sibylline
    having a secret or hidden meaning
    mysterious, mystic, mystical, occult, orphic, secret
    having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding
    private
    confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
    see moresee less
    Antonyms:
    exoteric
    suitable for the general public
    public
    not private; open to or concerning the people as a whole
    show more antonyms...
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘esoteric'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE

Look up esoteric for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.

VocabTrainer - Vocabulary.com's Vocabulary Trainer