esoteric

American  

[es-uh-ter-ik] / ˌɛs əˈtɛr ɪk /

adjective

1. understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite.

   poetry full of esoteric allusions.

   Synonyms:

   enigmatic, cryptic, arcane, abstruse

2. belonging to the select few.

3. private; secret; confidential.

4. (of a philosophical doctrine or the like) intended to be revealed only to the initiates of a group.

   the esoteric doctrines of Pythagoras.

5. Computers. (of programming or a programming language) designed to test or explore an unusual programming concept, regardless of its usefulness.

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esoteric British  

/ ˌɛsəʊˈtɛrɪk /

adjective

1. restricted to or intended for an enlightened or initiated minority, esp because of abstruseness or obscurity Compare exoteric

   an esoteric cult

2. difficult to understand; abstruse

   an esoteric statement

3. not openly admitted; private

   esoteric aims

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Usage

What does esoteric mean? Esoteric most commonly means obscure and only understood or intended to be understood by a small number of people with special (and perhaps secret) knowledge.It’s often used to describe knowledge that’s only intended to be revealed to people who have been initiated into a certain group. The word is often associated with mysticism and the occult.Such knowledge can be collectively referred to as esoterica, which can also refer collectively to books and other works that contain such topics.Example: To the uninitiated, this kind of esoteric knowledge is impenetrably arcane.

Other Word Forms

• esoterically adverb
• esotericism noun
• nonesoteric adjective
• nonesoterically adverb
• unesoteric adjective

Etymology

Origin of esoteric

First recorded in 1645–55; from Greek esōterikós “inner,” equivalent to esṓter(os) “inner” + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

My question was, admittedly, a bit esoteric and although I had to nudge the agent ever so slightly, I managed to get my answer pretty quickly, nonetheless.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2026

The Druze are followers of an esoteric religion that split from Shiite Islam centuries ago.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

MarketWatch asked Tuttle — who over recent years has set up a plethora of esoteric exchange traded funds — whether there are any ETFs that would represent a play into this theme.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025

For wine drinkers with mysterious preferences, I suggest a bottle of Champagne—but not an overly famous or esoteric one.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

The courses seemed esoteric and disconnected from the race and poverty issues that had motivated me to consider the law in the first place.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• abstruse
• arcane
• mystical