arcane

adjective

ar·​cane är-ˈkān How to pronounce arcane (audio)
: known or knowable only to a few people : secret
arcane rites
an arcane ritual
broadly : mysterious, obscure
arcane explanations
arcane technical details

Examples of arcane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The water authority embarked on a program to unload some of that surplus with the dual aim of modifying, if not rolling back, rate increases, while seeking a more creative approach to the water world in the West that has been bound by arcane law and more than a century of tradition. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 Time ticks by silently but, in the arcane universe of mechanical watches, sound is the ultimate achievement. Nancy Hass, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 What an obscure, comically arcane statistical category! Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 25 Feb. 2024 Expansion of the electric vehicle charging network delayed by arcane Wisconsin law The state DOT began accepting proposals from companies on Jan. 12, but will not be able to spend the money without a change in state law that exempts companies that operate the chargers from regulation as a utility. Karl Ebert, Journal Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2024 The latest hurdle involves an arcane dispute over the project’s water source. Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2024 Every design choice seems handed down through millennia of alternative human history, from arcane hieroglyphics to a slew of creative masks and veils meant to conceal the faces of those manipulating the levers of power, nearly all of them women. Peter Debruge, Variety, 21 Feb. 2024 But on Friday, during hours of legal back and forth about the arcane rules of what constitutes lawyer-client privilege, Judge McAfee ruled that Bradley really couldn’t talk about anything Wade told him about Willis. USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024 If this strikes you as an arcane legal debate of no great moment, think again. Clive Crook, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arcane.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin arcānus "secret, private, intimate," from arca "chest, coffer, box" + -ānus -an entry 2 — more at ark

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arcane was in 1547

Dictionary Entries Near arcane

Cite this Entry

“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arcane. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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