esotery
Americannoun
Usage
What does esotery mean? Esotery is the state or quality of being esoteric—obscure and only understood or intended to be understood by a small number of people with special (and perhaps secret) knowledge. Esotery is more commonly called esotericism. Another name for it is esoterism. Esotery often involves knowledge that’s only intended to be revealed to people who have been initiated into a certain group. The word is closely associated with mysticism and the occult. The word esotery can also refer to esoteric beliefs or writings. A similar term is esoterica, which collectively refers to such knowledge or to books and other works that contain such topics. Example: To the uninitiated, this kind of esotery is impenetrably arcane.
Etymology
Origin of esotery
1755–65; < Greek esóter ( os ) inner + -y 3
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.
