arcane

adjective

ar·​cane är-ˈkān How to pronounce arcane (audio)
: known or knowable only to a few people : secret
arcane rites
an arcane ritual
broadly : mysterious, obscure
arcane explanations
arcane technical details

Examples of arcane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In traditional dictatorships, critics are often charged with crimes such as sedition, treason, or plotting insurrection, but contemporary autocrats tend to prosecute critics for more mundane offenses, such as corruption, tax evasion, defamation, and even minor violations of arcane rules. Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025 Another facet of the debate over Reagan National is an arcane rule about how far its flights can travel. Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025 But flawed forecasts and arcane language have cost them credibility. River Akira Davis, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025 And if this becomes an arcane game of legal chess, both his critics and Fauci would have available moves. Cory Franklin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for arcane 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin arcānus "secret, private, intimate," from arca "chest, coffer, box" + -ānus -an entry 2 — more at ark

First Known Use

1547, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arcane was in 1547

Dictionary Entries Near arcane

Cite this Entry

“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arcane. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on arcane

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!