as in abstruseness
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Recent Examples of esotericism
Sega Bodega) have created with their Arabic shoegaze duo is one swathed in chic esotericism and slow-burning eros.
—
Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026
His roots offer some clues to understanding his esotericism.
—Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
For the most part my efforts at sculpting a musical identity were fueled by an esotericism that disdained common and easily accessible genres.
—Justin E. H. Smith, Harper's Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023
None of this is a problem in and of itself, but a little esotericism goes a long way — and Gallardo isn’t exactly of the opinion that less is more in that department.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 14 Feb. 2022
Occult practices melded with culturally blurry techniques of meditating and altering consciousness, and the roots of the esotericism that would eventually be known as New Age took hold.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 24 May 2021
Peralta learned Andean esotericism from his abuela, who was a medicine woman.
—Lola Méndez, refinery29.com, 17 Aug. 2020
In 1533, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa of Nettersheim, a young German nobleman, authored a groundbreaking work on different approaches to esotericism.
—Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 26 Mar. 2018
Spin Staff, SPIN, 1 June 2026
His roots offer some clues to understanding his esotericism.
—Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
For the most part my efforts at sculpting a musical identity were fueled by an esotericism that disdained common and easily accessible genres.
—Justin E. H. Smith, Harper's Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023
None of this is a problem in and of itself, but a little esotericism goes a long way — and Gallardo isn’t exactly of the opinion that less is more in that department.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 14 Feb. 2022
Occult practices melded with culturally blurry techniques of meditating and altering consciousness, and the roots of the esotericism that would eventually be known as New Age took hold.
—Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 24 May 2021
Peralta learned Andean esotericism from his abuela, who was a medicine woman.
—Lola Méndez, refinery29.com, 17 Aug. 2020
In 1533, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa of Nettersheim, a young German nobleman, authored a groundbreaking work on different approaches to esotericism.
—Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, 26 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for esotericism
Noun
-
Lyrically, the songs find the pair confronting the unknowability of adulthood all while careening between the intimacy of folk acoustics and the catharsis of electronic music.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
2 June 2026
-
But some of the most exciting and shocking findings in this field underscore the unknowability of certain truths, even within a system that has been carefully built from the ground up.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Patches of unintelligibility are nothing new in Pynchon, but usually a coherent world view gleams upward from the murk.—
Kathryn Schulz,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This was only the start of the incomprehensibility of this segment.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Esotericism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/esotericism. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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