recondite

re·con·dite

adjective \ˈre-kən-ˌdīt, ri-ˈkän-\

Definition of RECONDITE

1

: hidden from sight : concealed

2

: difficult or impossible for one of ordinary understanding or knowledge to comprehend : deep <a recondite subject>

3

: of, relating to, or dealing with something little known or obscure <recondite fact about the origin of the holiday — Floyd Dell>

— re·con·dite·ly adverb

— re·con·dite·ness noun

Examples of RECONDITE

1. <geochemistry is a recondite subject>

Origin of RECONDITE

Latin reconditus, past participle of recondere to conceal, from re- + condere to store up, from com- + -dere to put — more at com-, do

First Known Use: 1649

Related to RECONDITE

Synonyms

abstruse, arcane, deep, esoteric, hermetic (also hermetical), profound

Antonyms

shallow, superficial

Related Words

erudite, learned, scholarly; academic (also academical), pedantic; complex, complicated, hard; darkling, enigmatic (also enigmatical), inscrutable, mysterious, mystic, mystical, orphic, uncanny; impenetrable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, unintelligible; ambiguous, cryptic; unanswerable, unknowable; baffling, bewildering, confounding, confusing, disorienting, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling

Near Antonyms

easy, facile, simple, straightforward; comprehensible, fathomable, intelligible, understandable; apparent, clear, clear-cut, distinct, evident, lucid, manifest, obvious, perspicuous, plain, transparent