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
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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
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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
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Recent Examples of arcane
These exceedingly arcane deliberations typically receive little attention from the public.
—
Ben Christopher, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
Graduate students interested in learning to conduct this arcane work are a rare commodity.
—Eric Morgan, Wired News, 10 May 2025
The arcane process has made news in recent years, with Nielsen losing the MRC’s blessing for national and local ratings in 2021.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2025
Some of this may happen under cover of darkness, but much of it happens in the open, under cover of arcane technocracy or boring bureaucracy.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Ben Christopher, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
Graduate students interested in learning to conduct this arcane work are a rare commodity.
—Eric Morgan, Wired News, 10 May 2025
The arcane process has made news in recent years, with Nielsen losing the MRC’s blessing for national and local ratings in 2021.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2025
Some of this may happen under cover of darkness, but much of it happens in the open, under cover of arcane technocracy or boring bureaucracy.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane
Adjective
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Everyone knows Gaudí’s architecture; his furniture is a more esoteric thing.—
Anthony Paletta,
Curbed,
20 May 2025
-
His tastes ebbed and flowed between aggressive music and more esoteric tastes, as his collaborators came to range from Richard Thompson to Hal Willner, whose tribute to Federico Fellini and Nino Rota included contributions from Thomas, as did a collection of sea shanties.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Before Tessitore and Barrett could finish arguing, the screen cut out to a cryptic promo from Uncle Howdy, who teased coming after the Tag Team Titles.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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On Thursday, May 29, the 20-year-old shared a cryptic message on Instagram Stories.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Four thousand years ago, however, Crete was also a crossroads dominated by a mysterious and largely still poorly understood Bronze Age culture that predated classical Greece.—
Bruce Dorminey,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
-
The movie is led by Tom Hiddleston as the titular, mysterious Chuck Krantz, with a supporting cast that includes Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Matthew Lillard, Annalise Basso and Kate Siegel.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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Strategies For Leaders If deployed wisely, AI could lead to a profound advancement in how public agencies operate and serve their citizens equitably, effectively and sustainably.—
Darshan Tiwari,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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Those attacks have profound implications not only for Americans’ health, but on pocketbook issues and the U.S. economy generally.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Adjective
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Without a clear roadmap, friendship breakups often feel ambiguous, or sometimes lead to unnecessary hurt.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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The Food and Drug Administration’s April 22 news release contains some ambiguous language.—
Andrea Ruth,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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The author also varies the texture of the book by inserting poems, quotations, dramatic dialogue, a veiled account of her unhappy days at boarding school, and a lengthy digression on the German mystic Friederike Hauffe, who claimed to be clairvoyant and to communicate with spirits.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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Further projects include psychological thriller The Olive Press, set in the mystic world of the Druze community in Mount Lebanon, from writer and director Samah El Kadi, and co-written by Nadim Chammas.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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The banner offers a peek into a relatively obscure group during a critical moment in American history.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
3 June 2025
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The other is a bit more obscure: Juan Samuel, with 70 extra-base hits and 72 steals as a Phillies rookie in 1984.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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The lyrebird is a master mimic, able to reproduce the calls of other birds, chainsaws, camera shutters, car alarms, and even human voices with uncanny precision.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Filled with uncanny creatures and unintelligible language, the book's inspiration came, Serafini muses, either from aliens, or his cat.—
David Morgan,
CBS News,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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