arcanum

American  

[ahr-kay-nuhm] / ɑrˈkeɪ nəm /

noun

• arcana
  plural

1. Often arcana secret or arcane knowledge, acquired or understood by only a few.

   If you enjoy the arcana of early baseball, this book is for you.

2. a supposed great secret of nature that the alchemists sought to discover.

3. a secret and powerful remedy; elixir.

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arcanum British  

/ ɑːˈkeɪnəm /

noun

1. (sometimes plural) a profound secret or mystery known only to initiates

2. a secret of nature sought by alchemists

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• arcana
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of arcanum

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin, neuter (used as noun) of arcānus arcane ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

arcanum arcana

Of course, rather than the arcanum of regulation, what most Americans worry about today are economic growth, jobs, and the federal debt.

From Forbes ● Feb. 14, 2012

Let all creation read the patent facts, behind them still remains the inviolate, sacred arcanum, and before it stands sentinel Silence, and around it are walls of fire.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 13, No. 77, March, 1864 by Various

This is a supreme arcanum of angelic wisdom.

From Angelic Wisdom about Divine Providence by William F. Wunsch

She is the cavern, the secret lair of life and the casket in which that one great arcanum and impenetrable secret of motherhood is forever concealed—forever and forever.

From The Continental Monthly , Vol. 2 No. 5, November 1862 Devoted to Literature and National Policy by Various

To Charter, standing afar-off, came the simple but tremendous revelation, just a glimpse into that lovely arcanum which mere man may never know in full....

From She Buildeth Her House by William Wistar Comfort

The idea that this has to be weighted down with law-review articles and footnotes and arcana about the history of a three-part test is a way of obfuscating, right?

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

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

His novels move with kinetic energy, his plots are intricate puzzles shrouded in religious iconography, ancient cryptography and other obscure arcana.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2025

Right now she's not the girl that fusses with me about the rules, the arcana, and court.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

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