as in esoteric
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand
geochemistry is a recondite subject
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Recent Examples of recondite
But a few key paragraphs within the 88-page filing mention the exclusion and social shaming of non-iPhone users confined inside green chat bubbles, distinguishing this case from some of the more recondite explanations of tech market competition in recent years.
—
Lauren Goode, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2024
There are familiar words describing nature particular to the U.S., like prairie, skunk, coyote and chipmunk, but also more recondite ones, like catawba (a species of grape and type of sparkling wine), catawampous (fierce, destructive) and cottondom (the region in which cotton is grown).
—Sarah Ogilvie, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2023
Other efforts required more recondite statistical analysis.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023
Pierre Boulez — like Bernstein, a composer, though in a more recondite modernist mode — innovated with repertory mixtures and concert formats.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for recondite
Lauren Goode, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2024
There are familiar words describing nature particular to the U.S., like prairie, skunk, coyote and chipmunk, but also more recondite ones, like catawba (a species of grape and type of sparkling wine), catawampous (fierce, destructive) and cottondom (the region in which cotton is grown).
—Sarah Ogilvie, WSJ, 11 Nov. 2023
Other efforts required more recondite statistical analysis.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2023
Pierre Boulez — like Bernstein, a composer, though in a more recondite modernist mode — innovated with repertory mixtures and concert formats.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for recondite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recondite
Adjective
-
Deadly wildfires, immigration raids, and an esoteric yet expensive battle about redrawing congressional districts are among the topics that dominated headlines in the state last year.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The debate may seem esoteric, given the party brand issues Democrats have contended with and the fact that the 2028 election is still years away.—
Hunter Woodall,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Its simplicity was profound, and clearly the result of hours of labor and design.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
When censorship finally began to ease in the 1990s, Korean filmmakers emerged with a profound understanding of cinematic storytelling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recondite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recondite. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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