arcanum

American  

[ahr-key-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

Etymology

Origin of arcanum

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

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

The real witch-story is very often only a frame, so to speak, the real picture within it being the arcanum of a long scongiurazione or incantation, and what ingredients were used to work the charm. 

From Legends of Florence Collected from the People, First Series by Leland, Charles Godfrey

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 Comfort, William Wistar

The grand arcanum 's not for men to see all; My music has some mystic diapasons; And there is much which could not be appreciated In any manner by the uninitiated.

From Don Juan by Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron

He never contradicted either himself or the child; nay, he had the greatest arcanum for making him good--he was so himself.

From The Invisible Lodge by Jean Paul

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

And new commissions from Chris Ofili blend arcana drawn from the cards with aspects of Carnival in Trinidad, where the artist lives and works.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 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

In his memoir, he details that process in its arcana — selecting staff, seeking out trustworthy colleagues, staying close to the needs of constituents.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2023

"Using your powers to manipulate fabric and plants pushes the arcana outside of its intended use. It weakens it."

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton