arcane

American  

[ahr-keyn] / ɑrˈkeɪn /

adjective

1. known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric.

   She knew a lot about Sanskrit grammar and other arcane matters.

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arcane British  

/ ɑːˈkeɪn /

adjective

1. requiring secret knowledge to be understood; mysterious; esoteric

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• arcanely
  adverb
• arcaneness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of arcane

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French, from Latin arcānus, from arc(ēre) “to enclose, restrain, ward off” (derivative of arca “box, chest, coffer”) + -ānus -an

Explanation

Something arcane is understood or known by only a few people. Almost everyone knows the basics of baseball, but only an elite few possess the arcane knowledge of its history that marks the true fan. A near synonym is esoteric, as in "relating to remote information or knowledge." Experts in academic fields often show off the depth of their knowledge by mentioning some arcane and esoteric fact as if it was common for everyone to know. The origin of arcane is Latin arcānus, "secret, closed," from arca, "a chest, box." Arcana (singular arcanum) are pieces of mysterious knowledge or information.

Related Words

• esoteric
• impenetrable