definitions

recondite

[ rek-uhn-dahyt, ri-kon-dahyt ]
/ ˈrɛk ənˌdaɪt, rɪˈkɒn daɪt /
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adjective

dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matter: a recondite treatise.
beyond ordinary knowledge or understanding; esoteric: recondite principles.
little known; obscure: a recondite fact.

RELATED WORDS

abstruse, academic, arcane, cabalistic, concealed, cryptic, dark, deep, difficult, esoteric, hard, heavy, hermetic, hidden, involved, mystic, mystical, occult, pedantic, profound

Nearby words

reconcilable, reconcile, reconciliate, reconciliation, reconciliatory, recondite, recondition, reconfigure, reconfirm, reconnaissance, reconnaissance car

Origin of recondite

1640–50; earlier recondit < Latin reconditus recondite, hidden (orig. past participle of recondere to hide), equivalent to re- re- + cond(ere) to bring together (con- con- + -dere to put) + -itus -ite2
Related formsrec·on·dite·ly, adverbrec·on·dite·ness, nounun·rec·on·dite, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for recondite

British Dictionary definitions for recondite

recondite

/ (rɪˈkɒndaɪt, ˈrɛkənˌdaɪt) /

adjective

requiring special knowledge to be understood; abstruse
dealing with abstruse or profound subjects
Derived Formsreconditely, adverbreconditeness, noun

Word Origin for recondite

C17: from Latin reconditus hidden away, from re- + condere to conceal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for recondite

recondite

adj.

1640s, "removed or hidden from view," from Old French recondit, from Latin reconditus, past participle of recondere "store away, hide, conceal, put back again, put up again, lay up," from re- "away, back" (see re-) + condere "to store, hide, put together," from con- "together" (see con-) + -dere "to put, place," comb. form of dare "to give" (see date (n.1)). Meaning "removed from ordinary understanding, profound" is from 1650s; of writers or sources, "obscure," it is recorded from 1817.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper