hermetic

American  

[hur-met-ik] / hɜrˈmɛt ɪk /

Also hermetical

adjective

1. made airtight by fusion or sealing.

2. not affected by outward influence or power; isolated.

3. (sometimes initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of occult science, especially alchemy.

4. (initial capital letter) of or relating to Hermes Trismegistus or the writings ascribed to him.

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Hermetic ¹ British  

/ hɜːˈmɛtɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to Hermes Trismegistus or the writings and teachings ascribed to him

2. of or relating to ancient science, esp alchemy

3. esoteric or recondite

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hermetic ² British  

/ hɜːˈmɛtɪk /

adjective

1. sealed so as to be airtight

2. hidden or protected from the outside world

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Other Word Forms

• hermetically adverb
• unhermetic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hermetic

1630–40; < Medieval Latin hermēticus of, pertaining to Hermes Trismegistus, equivalent to Latin Hermē ( s ) Hermes + -ticus -tic

Example Sentences

The country had enjoyed a decade-long democratic experiment after a history of hermetic military rule.

From Barron's

MIT is an enclave even within the hermetic world of Cambridge academia—a place where complex, bleeding-edge ideas spawn from sterile labs and filthy dorm rooms.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was a marked contrast to Rossen’s current life, which is largely hermetic and domestic, confined to the four walls of his home.

From Los Angeles Times

Previous generations didn’t have the chance to taste some version of the hermetic bliss millions of us were exposed to over the past five years.

From Salon

Courogen, a journalist and visual content director based in New York, reached out countless times to May’s “people,” a small clutch of confidants that keep a tight lid on 92-year-old May’s hermetic world.

From Los Angeles Times