esoteric

adjective

es·​o·​ter·​ic ˌe-sə-ˈter-ik 

-ˈte-rik

1

a

: designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone

… a body of esoteric legal doctrine …

—Benjamin N. Cardozo

b

: requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group

esoteric terminology

The titles of some concert tours can be a bit esoteric.

—Matt Wake

Some of the film's winking references are more esoteric than others, and a lot of wordplay and in-jokes are potentially lost on a non-Japanese audience: some of them are … basically untranslatable.

—Kambole Campbell

broadly : difficult to understand

esoteric subjects

2

a

: limited to a small circle

engaging in esoteric pursuits

b

: private, confidential

an esoteric purpose

3

: of special, rare, or unusual interest

esoteric building materials

esoterically

ˌe-sə-ˈter-i-k(ə-)lē 

-ˈte-ri-

adverb

Did you know?

What is the opposite of esoteric?

The opposite of esoteric is exoteric, which means "suitable to be imparted to the public." According to one account, those who were deemed worthy to attend the Greek philosopher Aristotle's learned discussions were known as his "esoterics," his confidants, while those who merely attended his popular evening lectures were called his "exoterics." Since material that is geared toward a target audience is often not as easily comprehensible to outside observers, esoteric acquired an extended meaning of "difficult to understand." Both esoteric and exoteric started appearing in English in the 17th century; esoteric traces back to ancient Greek by way of the Late Latin esotericus. The Greek esōterikos is based on the comparative form of esō, which means "within."

Synonyms of esoteric

• profound
• scholarly

Examples of esoteric in a Sentence

A kahuna is a master of Hawaiian esoteric practices. Recently, Mariko Gordon and Hugh Cosman engaged a kahuna to bless their house.  … —Alec Wilkinson, New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2002

… he listens to a group of Malaysians playing reedy, plangent music on some esoteric kind of wind instrument. —Penelope Lively, City of the Mind, 1991

There was a new mall, an excellent bookstore with esoteric literary and policy journals, some restaurants with cosmopolitan menus, and engaging real estate advertisements. —Robert D. Kaplan, An Empire Wilderness, 1988

metaphysics is such an esoteric subject that most people are content to leave it to the philosophers

must have had some esoteric motive for leaving his art collection to a museum halfway around the globe

Recent Examples on the Web

Created in the 17th century, Japan’s Fujiko faith fuses Shinto and esoteric Buddhism in its reverence for Mount Fuji, the country’s highest peak. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 11 Oct. 2026

Other theories are even more esoteric and/or difficult to measure. — George Calhoun, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

Or Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel SS26, which launched in-store to a swarm of editors, discerning celebs, and high-profile figures — many vying to get their hands on the esoteric mint croc pumps. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026

But then Mehmet is let go from his job teaching esoteric music practices to university students and the household’s sole steady source of income is gone. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin esotericus, from Greek esōterikos, from esōterō, comparative of eisō, esō within, from eis into; akin to Greek en in — more at in

First Known Use

circa 1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for esoteric

• allosteric
• amphoteric
• anomeric
• atmospheric
• chromospheric
• climacteric
• congeneric
• dysenteric
• exoteric
• isomeric
• lithospheric
• mesenteric

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Kids Definition

esoteric

adjective

es·​o·​ter·​ic ˌes-ə-ˈter-ik 

1

: taught to or understood by members of a special group

esoteric knowledge

2

: hard to understand

esoteric subjects

3

: of special or unusual interest

esoteric colors

esoterically

-ˈter-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb