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- Dictionaryes·o·ter·ic/ˌesəˈterik/
adjective
- 1. intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest: "esoteric philosophical debates"
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The meaning of ESOTERIC is designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone. How to use esoteric in a sentence. What is the opposite of esoteric?
ESOTERIC definition: 1. very unusual and understood or liked by only a small number of people, especially those with…. Learn more.
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.
1. a. intended for or understood by only a chosen few, as an inner group of disciples or initiates. said of ideas, literature, etc. b. beyond the understanding or knowledge of most people; abstruse. 2. confidential; private; withheld. an esoteric plan.
ESOTERIC meaning: 1. very unusual and understood or liked by only a small number of people, especially those with…. Learn more.
Definition of esoteric adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
1. restricted to or intended for an enlightened or initiated minority, esp because of abstruseness or obscurity: an esoteric cult. Compare exoteric. 2. difficult to understand; abstruse: an esoteric statement. 3. not openly admitted; private: esoteric aims. [C17: from Greek esōterikos, from esōterō inner] ˌesoˈterically adv.
Esoteric most commonly means obscure and only understood or intended to be understood by a small number of people with special (and perhaps secret) knowledge. It’s often used to describe knowledge that’s only intended to be revealed to people who have been initiated into a certain group.
There are eight meanings listed in OED's entry for the word esoteric. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
ESOTERIC meaning: 1 : only taught to or understood by members of a special group hard to understand; 2 : limited to a small number of people.