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

• 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

Example Sentences

Social media is awash in content about the arcane: how-tos for spellcasting, psychics claiming to foretell the future and endless posts about casting out demons.

From Salon

The problem, apart from perennial budget pressures, is that interest in election mechanics — a technical and arcane subject if ever there was one — is episodic and fleeting.

From Los Angeles Times

Maybe that is true for the 500 biggest U.S. stocks but less so for a relatively arcane and less-researched sector such as BDCs.

From Barron's

Turning to the arcane economic terminology of international accounting, the balance of payments is a complete ledger of all economic transactions between the U.S. and the rest of the world.

From The Wall Street Journal

It may be an arcane discussion to most people, but the real-world implications of overhauling the Fed’s models are vast, and could shape monetary policy for years to come.

From Barron's

Related Words

• esoteric
• impenetrable