1
as in esoteric
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand
grammatical rules that seem arcane to generations of students who were never taught grammar in the first place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cryptic
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the rebate form uses arcane language, the only purpose of which seems to be to disqualify buyers from actually getting a rebate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
my predecessor in this job obviously had his own arcane system for filing things, and so I haven't a clue as to where anything is
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of arcane
That set of rules might have been codified in some arcane mathematical or formulaic lingo.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Democrats are ramping up pressure on Republicans over the Jeffrey Epstein files, turning to an arcane rule to attempt to force the release of documents and highlight an issue that has become a sore subject for the Trump administration and Republicans.
—Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 31 July 2025
As an advocate for scientific research, Peoples reasoned that seemingly arcane discoveries can unexpectedly yield astonishing and wide-range applications and results.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
That led to a complicated release strategy, the details of which are too arcane to get into here.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2025
Democrats are ramping up pressure on Republicans over the Jeffrey Epstein files, turning to an arcane rule to attempt to force the release of documents and highlight an issue that has become a sore subject for the Trump administration and Republicans.
—Kristina Karisch, The Hill, 31 July 2025
As an advocate for scientific research, Peoples reasoned that seemingly arcane discoveries can unexpectedly yield astonishing and wide-range applications and results.
—Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2025
That led to a complicated release strategy, the details of which are too arcane to get into here.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane
Adjective
-
Chicago has long helped to keep alive tiny fields and esoteric areas of humanistic study, particularly in the languages.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Brilliant, nerdy renegades building in the Bay Area, toiling away on esoteric topics before hitting it big?—
Cortney Harding,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
These fish, known for their cryptic behavior, were identified as a neonative species, expanding their range naturally.—
Real-Time News team,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Ars reached out to Google for an explanation, receiving a cryptic and somewhat unsatisfying reply.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In an effort to help the group retrieve it, Guy encounters William Fitchner’s Jasper, a mysterious American who has quietly assumed control and influence over the Talamasca’s London Motherhouse.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Released in 2004, the film follows Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, who finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This is a period of profound adjustment for everyone at the club, to put it mildly.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
But their journey involves profound moments with their past and future, examining how the Mi’kmaw people, Indigenous to Nova Scotia, relate to the land and to each other.—
William Earl,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The first three episodes currently streaming on Paramount+ reveal that the Tiva dynamic remains as ambiguous as ever.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The term has become both expansive and ambiguous.—
Lauren Buitta,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Yeats’s spirals, once dismissed as the wild diagrams of a mystic, now settle over this place like soot.—
Alaa Alqaisi
August 13,
Literary Hub,
13 Aug. 2025
-
The round shape and clear sides let the punch’s pumpkin orange hue shine, creating a mystic effect—especially when surrounded by a bit of dry ice mist.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The brand’s giant green owl mascot dances badly, makes obscure pop culture references and pokes fun at the company’s push notifications.—
Leeron Walter,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Indeed, compared to 2005’s Broken Flowers, this is a wilfully obscure step back to his deadpan, experimental roots, a gentle, almost deliberately un-film that is best not viewed in too much proximity to the witching hour.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The company’s extraordinary rise from an upstart carmaker to a global force in sustainable energy and transport has been fueled by his relentless ambition and uncanny ability to attract capital.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Although Romano rightly considered her depictions of dreams to be realistic, the book itself, with its uncanny, fragmented narratives, could not have been more distinct from the neorealist literature that was in vogue at the time.—
Brian Robert Moore
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share