mystery

¹

[ mis-tuh-ree, -tree ]

noun

, plural mys·ter·ies.

1. anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or unknown:

   the mysteries of nature.

2. any affair, thing, or person that presents features or qualities so obscure as to arouse curiosity or speculation:

   The masked guest is an absolute mystery to everyone.

3. a novel, short story, play, or film whose plot involves a crime or other event that remains puzzlingly unsettled until the very end:

   a mystery by Agatha Christie.

4. obscure, puzzling, or mysterious quality or character:

   the mystery of Mona Lisa's smile.

   Synonyms: secrecy, mystique, obscurity, ambiguity, riddle, secret, problem, puzzle, enigma

5. any truth that is unknowable except by divine revelation.
6. (in the Christian religion)
   1. a sacramental rite.
   2. Eucharist ( def 1 ).
7. an incident or scene in connection with the life of Christ, regarded as of special significance:

   the mysteries of the Passion.

8. any of the 15 events in the lives of Christ and the Virgin Mary meditated upon during the recitation of the rosary.
9. mysteries,
   1. ancient religions that admitted candidates by secret rites and rituals the meaning of which was known only to initiated worshipers.
   2. any rites or secrets known only to those initiated:

      the mysteries of Freemasonry.

   3. (in the Christian religion) the Eucharistic elements.
10. mystery play.

mystery

²

[ mis-tuh-ree ]

noun

, Archaic.

, plural mys·ter·ies.

1. a craft or trade.
2. a guild, as of merchants.

mystery

¹

/ ˈmɪstərɪ /

noun

1. a trade, occupation, or craft
2. a guild of craftsmen

mystery

²

/ ˈmɪstərɪ; -trɪ /

noun

1. an unexplained or inexplicable event, phenomenon, etc
2. a person or thing that arouses curiosity or suspense because of an unknown, obscure, or enigmatic quality
3. the state or quality of being obscure, inexplicable, or enigmatic
4. a story, film, etc, which arouses suspense and curiosity because of facts concealed
5. Christianity any truth that is divinely revealed but otherwise unknowable
6. Christianity a sacramental rite, such as the Eucharist, or ( when plural ) the consecrated elements of the Eucharist
7. often plural any of various rites of certain ancient Mediterranean religions
8. See mystery play
   short for mystery play

Word History and Origins

Origin of mystery¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English misteri(e), from Latin mystērium “a secret,” (plural) mystēria “secret rites,” from Greek mystḗrion, equivalent to mýs(tēs) “an initiate (into the Eleusinian mysteries)” + -tērion noun suffix; mystic )

Origin of mystery²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English misteri(e) “ministry, office; handicraft, art; guild” from Old French mistere and Medieval Latin misterium, variant of Latin ministerium ministry, confused with mystērium mystery ¹( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of mystery¹

C14: from Medieval Latin mistērium, from Latin ministerium occupation, from minister official

Origin of mystery²

C14: via Latin from Greek mustērion secret rites. See mystic

Example Sentences

Yet, only when we understand how it works—and that is still a mystery—will we be able to tune its behavior and start developing it into a technology.

From Singularity Hub 

The most challenging part was getting all those edge cases right, particularly when there were repeated letters in one of your guesses or in the mystery word itself.

From FiveThirtyEight

The identity and social standing of the mud-wrapped individual remains a mystery.

From Science News

Volunteering to take a mystery shot for science can definitely give parents and teens pause.

From Science News For Students

Much of shorting’s mystery comes from its complicated mechanics.

From Quartz

But the real mystery and injustice came from Brooke being essentially written out of the history of the civil rights movement.

From The Daily Beast

The fate of AirAsia Flight 8501 and the 162 souls on board is a tragedy, but it will not remain a mystery for much longer.

From The Daily Beast

So far, the mystery man in the morgue has not been identified, and neither has Mr. Douli.

From The Daily Beast

Due to the video lacking audio, what they were fighting about remains a mystery—“was Jay cheating?”

From The Daily Beast

But his motives for shooting John Paul II have remained a mystery shrouded in multiple conspiracy theories.

From The Daily Beast

Here began indeed, in the drab surroundings of the workshop, in the silent mystery of the laboratory, the magic of the new age.

From Project Gutenberg

The beauty, the mystery,—this fierce sunshine or something—stir——' She hesitated for a fraction of a second.

From Project Gutenberg

The sudden pall of darkness in this strange house of mystery was just a tiny bit awesome.

From Project Gutenberg

He professed both to abominate and despise all mystery, refinement, and intrigue, either in a prince or a minister.

From Project Gutenberg

At last the report of several rifles from the island of trees gave us a clue to the mystery.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• conundrum
• enigma
• problem
• question
• riddle
• secrecy
• subtlety
• thriller