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
Alawism emphasizes the importance of esoteric or hidden knowledge, which the faith holds was revealed by God to the imams, the Prophet Muhammad’s successors.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Feldmann learned all this esoteric repertory in just a week (after Justin Austin dropped out on account of illness), making his achievement somewhat heroic.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
At the end of the Strip Law season, there are hints that its cumulative effect could be greater than the sum of its puns, near-rhymes and esoteric shoutouts.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
The new record opens with a spoken word intro from the funk father himself, George Clinton, which somewhat belies its lack of buoyant grooves, but sets the tone for its poetic and often esoteric themes.
—Lina Lecaro, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for esoteric
Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Feldmann learned all this esoteric repertory in just a week (after Justin Austin dropped out on account of illness), making his achievement somewhat heroic.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026
At the end of the Strip Law season, there are hints that its cumulative effect could be greater than the sum of its puns, near-rhymes and esoteric shoutouts.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 20 Feb. 2026
The new record opens with a spoken word intro from the funk father himself, George Clinton, which somewhat belies its lack of buoyant grooves, but sets the tone for its poetic and often esoteric themes.
—Lina Lecaro, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for esoteric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for esoteric
Adjective
-
No matter how firmly the film tries to grab hold of you and offer something profound amidst the absurdity of the situation, any such meaning eventually slips through the dwindling number of fingers that the film, as well as its characters, have left.—
Chase Hutchinson,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
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With powerful visual storytelling, the film will interweave the rigorous scientific research and poetry of Lucy’s writing, with personal stories from a diverse range of contributors to offer a radical and profound examination of maternal metamorphosis.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The city, under the new leadership of Zohran Mamdani, sued Jordan McGraw in January, accusing him of attempting to air episodes that would reveal confidential law enforcement information.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Mar. 2026
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For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One scholarly paper found that the typical retiree who claims before 70 loses $182,370 in potential Social Security income.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
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Leslie Hairston, a former City Council colleague of Preckwinkle’s whose South Side ward abutted hers, said Preckwinkle’s scholarly disposition shouldn’t be mistaken for indifference.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Guests will have access to 150 feet of private shoreline (including a private dock complete with a pier, ramp, and float) as well as plenty of paths for afternoon strolls.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Every home includes a private backyard, smart technology and energy-efficient systems.—
Sandra Barrera,
Daily News,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Defense lawyers also claimed that four secret decrees Francis signed giving prosecutors wide-ranging powers to investigate violated the defendants' right to a fair trial.—
NICOLE WINFIELD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
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The causes were entangling secret alliances, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the ensuing diplomatic brinksmanship.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Johnson won song of the year at the ACMs last year and will sing a thus-far undisclosed number.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Meta recently purchased the platform for an undisclosed sum.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Esoteric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/esoteric. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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