arcane
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
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
Explanation
Something arcane is understood or known by only a few people. Almost everyone knows the basics of baseball, but only an elite few possess the arcane knowledge of its history that marks the true fan. A near synonym is esoteric, as in "relating to remote information or knowledge." Experts in academic fields often show off the depth of their knowledge by mentioning some arcane and esoteric fact as if it was common for everyone to know. The origin of arcane is Latin arcānus, "secret, closed," from arca, "a chest, box." Arcana (singular arcanum) are pieces of mysterious knowledge or information.
Vocabulary lists containing arcane
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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Advanced English Words
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If the value of a fund’s purchased loans is inflated by an arcane accounting rule, investors may suffer significant losses when these loans become due.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026
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 • Apr. 1, 2026
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 • Feb. 18, 2026
The controversy is about an arcane technical maneuver in which high-speed traders bombard Frankfurt-based Eurex with useless data.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025
Before I could protest, she laid a hand on my avatar’s chest and muttered a few arcane words.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
