Main Entry:: es·o·ter·ic
Pronunciation:: \ˌe-sə-ˈter-ik, -ˈte-rik\
Function:: adjective
Etymology:: Late Latin esotericus, from Greek esōterikos, from esōterō, comparative of eisō, esō within, from eis into; akin to Greek en in — more at in
Date:: circa 1660

1 a: 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>2 a: 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>

— es·o·ter·i·cal·ly

\-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Learn more about "esoteric" and related topics at Britannica.com

See a map of "esoteric" in the Visual Thesaurus

Find Jobs in Your City

Pronunciation Symbols