esoteric

[ es-uh-ter-ik ]

See synonyms for esoteric on Thesaurus.com

adjective

understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite: poetry full of esoteric allusions.
belonging to the select few.

private; secret; confidential.
(of a philosophical doctrine or the like) intended to be revealed only to the initiates of a group: the esoteric doctrines of Pythagoras.

Origin of esoteric

First recorded in 1645–55; from Greek esōterikós “inner,” equivalent to esṓter(os) “inner” + -ikos -ic

Other words for esoteric

1	abstruse, arcane, cryptic, enigmatic

See synonyms for esoteric on Thesaurus.com

Other words from esoteric

es·o·ter·i·cal·ly, adverb
non·es·o·ter·ic, adjective
non·es·o·ter·i·cal·ly, adverb
un·es·o·ter·ic, adjective

Words that may be confused with esoteric

esoteric , exoteric

Words Nearby esoteric

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use esoteric in a sentence

Ted is a quirky guy that loves esoteric topics like Teddy Roosevelt trivia and the history of belts.
Everything You Need to Know About 'How I Met Your Mother' | Chancellor Agard | March 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
There is a pill in Tibetan Buddhism that contains a lot of esoteric ingredients, some of which are bodily substances.
How to Think With Your Gut | Mindy Farabee | April 9, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
He noted that some esoteric historians call them “Palestinians.”
Moshe Feiglin Is Now Mainstream | Gabriel Fisher | December 7, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Suddenly you can hold forth about leading and kerning and other esoteric aspects of typesetting.
Instagram App Deepens Class Warfare Between Apple and Android Smartphones | Dan Lyons | April 6, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
In the old days it was not uncommon for the admissions officer to pose some esoteric—make that wacko—question.
Do College Interviews Count? | Steve Cohen, Mike Muska | October 6, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST

His esoteric project was the original project of Christopher Columbus, extended and modified.
The History of England from the Accession of James II. | Thomas Babington Macaulay
I think that sort of thing appeals especially to me because my own design isn't in the least esoteric.
Hilda | Sarah Jeanette Duncan
Petuléngro, farrier, the esoteric Romany name of the Smith family.
Lavengro | George Borrow
Yet it is known that we have several branches of these same esoteric Masonic Lodges carrying on their deadly work in our midst.
Secret Societies And Subversive Movements | Nesta H. Webster
This was the origin of the rites more public, yet certainly esoteric, that he at last found himself able to establish.
The Altar of the Dead | Henry James

British Dictionary definitions for esoteric

esoteric

/ (ˌɛsəʊˈtɛrɪk) /

adjective

restricted to or intended for an enlightened or initiated minority, esp because of abstruseness or obscurity: an esoteric cult Compare exoteric
difficult to understand; abstruse: an esoteric statement

not openly admitted; private: esoteric aims

Origin of esoteric

C17: from Greek esōterikos, from esōterō inner

Derived forms of esoteric

esoterically, adverb
esotericism, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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