Esoteric
Describing knowledge, language, or information intended for a small, specialized audience; obscure or not readily accessible to the general public.
adjectiveEsoteric
Describing knowledge, language, or information intended for a small, specialized audience; obscure or not readily accessible to the general public.
adjectiveImagine This
Picture a hidden library where a handful of scholars study a manuscript filled with symbols. The others stand outside the door, unable to read the script because it's esoteric.
Sounds Like
ee-SO-ter-ik
Looks Like
Suggests 'secret' knowledge; visually hints at something hidden and specialized, ending with -ic.
Remember This
Esoteric knowledge contrasts with exoteric knowledge, which is accessible to the general public. The prefix eso- means inside.
Other Forms
Connect With
arcane, recondite, abstruse, cryptic, inscrutable, exclusive knowledge
Note
Use for topics that require specialized knowledge or initiation. Do not misuse to mean simply 'difficult'βit emphasizes audience and access, not just complexity. Exoteric is the common opposite.
Study Deeper
- The professor's lecture on the theory of everything included esoteric mathematics that few undergraduates could follow.
- The philosopher discussed esoteric doctrines known only to a small circle of scholars.
From Greek esΕterikos 'inner, within', from esΕ 'inside' + -terikos; entered English via Latin esotericus.
Exclusive Secrets Of The Inner Circle
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Instigate
verbTo urge, provoke, or start something, often by incitement; to initiate an action or event.
Decadence
nounA decline in cultural and moral standards, often accompanied by excessive self-indulgence and luxury.
Deride
verbTo mock or ridicule someone; to express contempt for by laughing at or making fun of them.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Arcane
adjectiveMysterious; understood by only a few; obscure
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Inscrutable
adjectiveDifficult to understand or interpret; not readily understood or interpreted.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.