1
as in profound
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand
metaphysics is such an esoteric subject that most people are content to leave it to the philosophers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in confidential
not known or meant to be known by the general populace
must have had some esoteric motive for leaving his art collection to a museum halfway around the globe
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Recent Examples of esoteric
Sommaiy, a former monk, leads private meditation sessions and treks to remote forest temples where abbots still practice the esoteric art of Sak Yant Buddhist tattoos.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, there’s a war on (Timothée Chalamet versus the esoteric performing arts) and the United States has made yet another military incursion into the Middle East.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2026
At the conference, there were several talks each day that delved into esoteric topics, such as gravitational wave physics, that would later dominate the field.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
There were also stories about Reinsdorf not being amused by the wise-cracking or esoteric commentary by Benetti during play-by-play, as if baseball were a deadly serious sport that should be treated with more dignity.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for esoteric
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, there’s a war on (Timothée Chalamet versus the esoteric performing arts) and the United States has made yet another military incursion into the Middle East.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2026
At the conference, there were several talks each day that delved into esoteric topics, such as gravitational wave physics, that would later dominate the field.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
There were also stories about Reinsdorf not being amused by the wise-cracking or esoteric commentary by Benetti during play-by-play, as if baseball were a deadly serious sport that should be treated with more dignity.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for esoteric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for esoteric
Adjective
-
Against a backdrop of social and geopolitical change, amid profound transformation both in Georgia and across the South Caucasus, their stories reveal how the will to dream, to resist, and to love becomes its own quiet blaze.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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Because publishing—like many cultural industries—is navigating a period of profound change.—
Julie Finch,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Yet according to confidential banking records and corporate documents reviewed by the Miami Herald, this unassuming address is one of several South Florida locations at the center of a sprawling financial network that moved at least $260 million connected to Argentina’s top soccer authority.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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McGraw Media agreed to remove all content from the documentary-style series that the department designates as inaccurate or confidential, that the NYPD is legally prohibited from releasing, that reveals investigatory techniques or that would otherwise compromise public safety or the public trust.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Land acknowledgments, protest movements, scholarly conversations, the UN themed decade, and the Indigenous Literature category on Lit Hub all speak to that.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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Acuña contributed chapters in dozens of anthologies and scholarly texts and wrote numerous book reviews, several children’s books, scholarly articles and opinion pieces in academic journals, magazines, listservs and newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times.—
Dorany Pineda,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Mecklenburg County commissioners voted just last week to officially remove the county’s previous rules on private pool rentals to reflect the change in state law.—
Mary Ramsey
March 25,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
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The diplomats spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose private negotiations.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The court’s comments came from a case brought by the Miami Herald that challenged keeping a portion of a grand jury’s report secret.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
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To acknowledge reality is to cease to be Liza Minnelli, and the secret self revealed in these pages has disappointingly few insights to share.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The robber made off with an undisclosed amount of money.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
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The agency said Thursday that the truck has been placed in an undisclosed, secure location and deferred to questions about the status of the plane to Air Canada, which didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.—
Philip Marcelo,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Esoteric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/esoteric. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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