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
In the summer of 2023, at the end of his third year of graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ilango was growing increasingly interested in an arcane subfield of complexity theory called proof complexity.
—
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
11 May 2026
What is usually an arcane process has become an unprecedented political free-for-all.
—
Cecilia Vega,
CBS News,
10 May 2026
Winning those contests would grant players Legacy Tickets that would then be automatically converted to GALA using an arcane formula at the end of every day.
—
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
The late-night vote series in the Senate this week was part of an arcane, complicated process called budget reconciliation that GOP leaders are using to try to fund the two immigration enforcement agencies that Democrats continue to block.
—
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Ben Brubaker,
Quanta Magazine,
11 May 2026
What is usually an arcane process has become an unprecedented political free-for-all.
—
Cecilia Vega,
CBS News,
10 May 2026
Winning those contests would grant players Legacy Tickets that would then be automatically converted to GALA using an arcane formula at the end of every day.
—
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2026
The late-night vote series in the Senate this week was part of an arcane, complicated process called budget reconciliation that GOP leaders are using to try to fund the two immigration enforcement agencies that Democrats continue to block.
—
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane
Adjective
-
His esoteric sidewalk pasta pop-up, Estrano, happens sporadically.
-
Such a fracture would normally sink a band, especially one that had been active for a decade, with five ambitious, esoteric albums to their credit and a solid, but perhaps not growing, fan base.
Adjective
-
Bunnie Xo has shared a cryptic video on social media after news of her split from Jelly Roll surfaced.
-
Jelly Roll is clarifying a cryptic post that's going viral amid his divorce from Bunnie Xo.
Adjective
-
Translation is a very mysterious thing because my goal is to create something that’s deeply equivalent but uses zero of the same words.
-
That is until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances in the USSR, and the pair become CIA operatives.
Adjective
-
The massive demand for cooling devices underscores the shift in European consumer behavior as countries grapple with profound climate changes.
-
What the state does next could have profound implications for its healthcare system and sprawling economy.
Adjective
-
As the noise-rap-electro act Jane Remover shrieked and pleaded through a 90-minute marathon set at the Fonda on Thursday night, one very young couple dressed right out of a conservative‘s nightmare — gender-ambiguous, purple hair, facial piercings — tapped me on the shoulder.
-
At a billion scans a month, even modest rates imply hundreds of millions of ambiguous results a year, each one demanding a clinical decision and producing a worried customer.
Adjective
-
The mystic chords that bind us together matter more than any policy.
-
Operating within those parameters, the mystic outlands trend extends to some of the world’s most mesmerizing corners.
Adjective
-
What has changed in recent years, however, is that prediction markets are no longer an obscure pastime enjoyed by political junkies.
-
What many people don’t know is that an earlier and more obscure stint during the administration of President Gerald Ford shaped him as a public servant.
Adjective
-
Or a cartoony hamburger that is doing a little too much — the cheese drip a little too textured, the shine on the bun a little uncanny.
-
Strong opening performances have fueled this intensity, which paradoxically arises from their uncanny parallels as footballing nations.
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
