- plural of arcanum.
arcana
Americannoun
-
(used with a singular or plural verb) either of the two types of tarot cards in a deck, the minor arcana and the major arcana.
noun
Etymology
Origin of arcana
First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin; neuter plural (used as a noun) of arcanum ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Like those works, “Reflections on Cinematography” offers enough technical arcana to keep colleagues in the profession and students of the craft enraptured.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
The point is that they aren’t arcana that’s only known to the most devoted of Boss fans, so the dissonance between what the audience knows and what they’re being told will have an impact.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2025
The 56 minor arcana cards — which mirror the pattern of common playing cards — represent “daily challenges and opportunities.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2024
Under the arcana of the committee’s rules, however, Mr. Trump cannot simply install someone.
From New York Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
And I am to stay on my uncomplicated task of rendering a man’s life and ambition and leave to the unseen experts the arcana of human interpretation.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
