A Topical Dictionary: Search for esoteric

Dictionary Results For "esoteric" [?]/[OPML]

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English

Etymology

From {{term|sc=polytonic|ἐσώτερoς|tr=esōteros||inner|lang=grc}} (esoteric originally referred to the secret (vs. public) teachings of Greek philosophers).

Pronunciation

, IPA: /ˌes.əʊˈter.ɪk/,
:

Adjective

Understood only by a chosen few or an enlightened inner circle.
:''Many Wikipedians are glad that the wikipedia:Sum of absolute transformed differences|Sum of absolute transformed differences was not the 2,000,000th article, because it would've been too esoteric to adequately celebrate. Fortunately, it was article 2,000,001, while wikipedia:El Hormiguero|El Hormiguero, a Spanish comedy show, was the 2,000,000th.
Having to do with concepts that are highly theoretical and without obvious practical application.
confidential|Confidential; private.

Synonyms

Antonyms

exoteric

Related terms

Translations

German:
Finnish:
Greek: {{t|el|εσωτερικός||tr=esoterikós|sc=Grek}}

Italian: {{t|it|esoterico|m}}, {{t+|it|esoterica|f}}, {{t|it|esoterici|m|p}}, {{t|it|esoteriche|f|p}}
Japanese: {{t|ja|秘儀の|tr=ひぎの, higi no|sc=JAchar}}, {{t|ja|奥義の|tr=おうぎの, ōgi no|sc=JAchar}}
Polish: {{t+|pl|ezoteryczny|m}}, {{t|pl|tajemny|m}}
Russian: {{t|ru|эзотерический|tr=ezoteríčeskij|sc=Cyrl}}

German:
Greek: {{t|el|απόκρυφος||tr=apókrifos|sc=Grek}}

Japanese: {{t-|ja|深遠な|tr=しんえんな, shin'enna|sc=JAchar}}
Polish: {{t|pl|zawiły|m}}, {{t|pl|niezrozumiały|m}}
Russian: {{t|ru|эзотерический|tr=ezoteríčeskij|sc=Cyrl}}

Finnish:
German:
Greek: {{t|el|εσωτερικός||tr=esoterikós|sc=Grek}}

Japanese: {{t|ja|秘密の|tr=ひみつの, himitsu no|sc=JAchar}}
Polish: {{t+|pl|ezoteryczny|m}}, {{t|pl|tajny|m}}, {{t|pl|skryty|m}}
Russian: {{t|ru|эзотерический|tr=ezoteríčeskij|sc=Cyrl}}, {{t|ru|тайный|tr=tájnyj|sc=Cyrl}}, {{t|ru|скрытый|tr=skrýtyj|sc=Cyrl}}

: esoterisch
: ésotérique
: 비전 (bijeon)

: esotericus , esoterica , esotericum
: 神秘 (shenmi)
: esotérico
: esotérico , esotérica
: езотеричний (ezoterychnyy) од. чол., езотерична (ezoterychna) од. жін., езотеричне (ezoterychne) од. сер., езотеричні (ezoterychni) мн.

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Esoteric \Es`o*ter"ic\ ([e^]s`[-o]*t[e^]"[i^]k), a. [Gr.
'eswteriko`s, fr. 'esw`teros inner, interior, comp. fr. 'e`sw
in, within, fr. 'es, e'is, into, fr. 'en in. See In.]
1. Designed for, and understood by, the specially initiated
alone; not communicated, or not intelligible, to the
general body of followers; private; interior; acroamatic;
-- said of discussions of technical topics and of the
private and more recondite instructions and doctrines of
philosophers. Opposed to exoteric.
[1913 Webster]

Enough if every age produce two or three critics of
this esoteric class, with here and there a reader to
understand them. --De Quincey.
[1913 Webster]

2. Marked by secrecy or privacy; private; select;
confidential; as, an esoteric purpose; an esoteric
meeting.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Esoteric \Es`o*ter"ic\, n. (Philos.)
(a) An esoteric doctrine or treatise; esoteric philosophy;
esoterics.
(b) One who believes, or is an initiate, in esoteric
doctrines or rites.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]

WordNet esoteric
adj : confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner
circle; "a compilation of esoteric philosophical
theories" [ant: exoteric]

Moby Dictionary
absolute , abstract , abstruse , anagogic , arcane , auricular ,
between the lines , between us , cabalic , cabalistic , censored ,
certain , classified , close , closed , concealed , concrete ,
confidential , covert , cryptic , dark , deep , deep-seated , defined ,
definite , delitescent , detailed , determinate , different , distinct ,
distinguished , dormant , eerie , enigmatic , especial , exceptional ,
express , extramundane , extraordinary , extraterrestrial , fey , fixed ,
heavy , hermetic , hibernating , hidden , hush-hush , hypernormal ,
hyperphysical , immanent , implanted , implicit , in petto ,
inalienable , individual , indwelling , infixed , ingrained , inherent ,
inner , inside , internal , intimate , intrinsic , inward , inwrought ,
irreducible , latent , lurking , metaphysic , minute , muffled ,
mysterious , mystic , not for publication , noteworthy , numinous ,
obfuscated , obscured , occult , off the record , otherworldly ,
particular , personal , possible , potential , precise , preterhuman ,
preternatural , preternormal , pretersensual , private , privileged ,
profound , psychic , recondite , resident , respective , restricted ,
sealed , secret , several , singular , sleeping , smothered ,
solipsistic , special , specific , spiritual , stifled , subjective ,
submerged , superhuman , supernatural , supernormal , superphysical ,
supersensible , supersensual , suppressed , supramundane ,
supranatural , theosophical , theosophist , top secret ,
transcendental , transmundane , ulterior , unalienable , unbreatheable ,
unchallengeable , under privilege , under security ,
under the surface , under wraps , underlying , undisclosable ,
undisclosed , undivulgable , undivulged , unearthly , unhuman ,
unmanifested , unpublishable , unquestionable , unrevealable ,
unrevealed , unspoken , untellable , untold , unutterable , unuttered ,
unwhisperable , unworldly , veiled , virtual

ESOTERIC, adj. Very particularly abstruse and consummately occult. The ancient philosophies were of two kinds, -- _exoteric_, those that the philosophers themselves could partly understand, and _esoteric_, those that nobody could understand. It is the latter that have most profoundly affected modern thought and found greatest acceptance in our time.