hermetic

play

adjective her·met·ic \ (ˌ)hər-ˈme-tik \

variants: or less commonly hermetical play \(ˌ)hər-ˈme-ti-kəl\

Definition of hermetic

1 often capitalized

a :of or relating to the mystical and alchemical writings or teachings arising in the first three centuries a.d. and attributed to Hermes Trismegistus

b :relating to or characterized by subjects that are mysterious and difficult to understand :relating to or characterized by occultism or abstruseness :recondite

a hermetic discussion

[from the belief that Hermes Trismegistus invented a magic seal to keep vessels airtight]

a :airtight

hermetic seal

b :impervious to external influence

trapped inside the hermetic military machine
—Jack Newfield

c :recluse, solitary

leads a hermetic life

—

hermetically

play \(ˌ)hər-ˈme-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Examples of hermetic in a Sentence

wrote hermetic poetry whose sole intended readership was himself

Recent Examples of hermetic from the Web

Sonic effects didn’t seem detached from what was happening onstage, a vision of the pit as its own private world of hermetic beauties; instead, the orchestra acted as an enhancer and interlocutor.

— zachary woolfe, New York Times, "Review: William Kentridge’s Triumphant ‘Wozzeck’ Will Come to the Met Opera," 9 Aug. 2017
But the story’s hermetic concerns, at least in the hands of scripters Svetlana Grudovich and Olga Pogodina, ultimately feel too stuffy and archaic to find enough modern-day relevance. ------------- ‘Two Women’

— gary goldstein, latimes.com, "Ralph Fiennes speaks Russian in 'Two Women,' a stuffy Turgenev adaptation," 11 May 2017
Hermetic environments: If a burial chamber or coffin is sealed tightly enough, water and foreign microbes cannot get in, leaving the corpse largely untouched.

— nathaniel scharping, Discover Magazine, "The Eternal Mummy Princesses," 6 Feb. 2017
Even if Trump’s media strategy is to create a hermetic seal around the truth, his alternate reality is already springing leaks.

— tina nguyen, The Hive, "Trump Launches Pre-emptive War on Truth, Declares All Negative Polls “Fake News”," 6 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hermetic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

hermetic Has Origins in Greek Mythology

Hermetic derives from Greek via the Medieval Latin word hermeticus. When it first entered English in the early 17th century, hermetic was associated with writings attributed to Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom. Thoth, whom the Greeks called Hermes Trismegistus ("thrice-great Hermes"), was believed to be the author of a number of mystical, philosophical, and alchemistic works. The obscure subject matter of these works may have made them difficult to wade through, for soon English speakers were also applying hermetic to things that were beyond ordinary human comprehension. Additionally, Hermes Trismegistus was said to have invented a magic seal that could keep vessels airtight. Hermetic thus came to mean "airtight," both literally and figuratively. These days, it can also sometimes mean "solitary."

Origin and Etymology of hermetic

Medieval Latin hermeticus, from Hermet-, Hermes Trismegistus

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First Known Use: 1605

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hermetic Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

shallow, superficial

Near Antonyms

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

Other Religion (Eastern and Other) Terms

Zen, antinomian, avatar, gnosticism, illuminati, ineffable, karma, koan, mantra

HERMETIC Defined for English Language Learners

hermetic

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adjective

Definition of hermetic for English Language Learners

: closed tightly so that no air can go in or out

Medical Dictionary

hermetic

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adjective her·met·ic \ (ˌ)hər-ˈmet-ik \

medical Definition of hermetic

:being airtight or impervious to air

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hermetically

play \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Biographical Note for hermetic

Her*mes Tris*me*gis*tus play \ˈhər-(ˌ)mēz-ˌtris-mə-ˈjis-təs\ Greek mythological character. Hermes Trismegistus was identified by the Greeks with the Egyptian god Thoth. To him was ascribed authorship of various works on astrology, magic, alchemy, and medicine. It was also believed that he had invented a magic seal to keep vessels airtight, and from his name the adjective hermetic meaning airtight was derived.