esoteric
adjective
es·o·ter·ic
| \ ˌe-sə-ˈter-ik
, -ˈte-rik\
, -ˈte-rik\
Definition of esoteric
1a
: designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone
a body of esoteric legal doctrine— B. N. Cardozo
b
: requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group
esoteric terminology
broadly
: difficult to understand
esoteric subjects
2a
: limited to a small circle
engaging in esoteric pursuits
b
: private, confidential
an esoteric purpose
3
: of special, rare, or unusual interest
esoteric building materials
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Other Words from esoteric
esoterically
\ ˌe-sə-ˈter-i-k(ə-)lē
, -ˈte-ri- \
adverb
, -ˈte-ri- \
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for esoteric
Synonyms
abstruse, arcane, deep, hermetic (also hermetical), profound, recondite
Antonyms
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Examples of esoteric in a Sentence
A kahuna is a master of Hawaiian esoteric practices. Recently, Mariko Gordon and Hugh Cosman engaged a kahuna to bless their house. …
— Alec Wilkinson, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2002
… he listens to a group of Malaysians playing reedy, plangent music on some esoteric kind of wind instrument.
— Penelope Lively, City of the Mind, 1991
There was a new mall, an excellent bookstore with esoteric literary and policy journals, some restaurants with cosmopolitan menus, and engaging real estate advertisements.
— Robert D. Kaplan, An Empire Wilderness, 1988
metaphysics is such an esoteric subject that most people are content to leave it to the philosophers
must have had some esoteric motive for leaving his art collection to a museum halfway around the globe
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Recent Examples on the Web
The fundamental particles that have so far been identified have been given esoteric names like quarks, leptons, muons, and taus. — Dylan Loeb Mcclain, BostonGlobe.com, "Ann Nelson, expert on particle physics, 61," 29 Aug. 2019 Whereas senators and the work of Congress used to be perceived as too esoteric to appeal to the public, modern politics and media coverage has made it into a vehicle for senators to become national figures. — Tim Perry, CBS News, "Remember when governors used to win the presidency?," 22 Aug. 2019 After that, its niche was born: molding Shakespeare's sometimes esoteric dialogue into a production with a current-day vibe at White River State Park. — Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "See the first changes that will transform west side's Riverside Park over the next 25 years," 24 July 2019 Some four-year students study subjects like ceramics or esoteric topics that provide skills not in sufficient demand to justify the costs. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Econometer: Does it still make financial sense to go to college?," 16 Aug. 2019 This is not an esoteric battle being fought in scientific journals and academic conferences, though there is a fair share of back-and-forth occurring in both venues. — Andrew Freedman, Anchorage Daily News, "Loss of Arctic sea ice may not be causing cold winters in the US and Asia after all," 15 Aug. 2019 This is not an esoteric battle being fought in scientific journals and academic conferences, though there is a fair share of back-and-forth occurring in both venues. — Andrew Freedman, BostonGlobe.com, "Loss of Arctic sea ice may not be causing cold winters in US, Asia after all, study finds," 14 Aug. 2019 The esoteric lecture circuit has always held a place in American culture as a proving ground for experimental ideas, both good and bad. — Emily Witt, The New Yorker, "Marianne Williamson Wants Politics to Enter the New Age," 14 Aug. 2019 An esoteric compilation of metaphysical, spiritual, and psychological assertions, all mined from the world’s major religions, A Course in Miracles is a curious creation. — Kayla Bartsch, National Review, "Marianne Williamson Offers Priestly Wisdom for a Nation Adrift — Seriously," 12 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'esoteric.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for esoteric
esoteric
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of esoteric
: only taught to or understood by members of a special group : hard to understand
: limited to a small number of people
See the full definition for esoteric in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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