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.
The arcane disputes on constitutionality, quorum, discharge petitions, procedural rules, and hardball tactics from leadership appeared to — understandably — be extremely low on the president’s priority list. Emily Brooks, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2025 What matters to progressive government is getting things done, not the arcane legal roadblocks set up by long-dead English colonists. Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025 On the positive side of the ledger, European policymakers are moving at a relatively fast pace, which is quite impressive given the typically slow churning of Europe’s arcane bureaucracy. Daniel Depetris, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2025 Well, the back-office operations, a lot of the more arcane things are very labor-intensive. Destinee Adams, NPR, 24 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arcane. Accessed 13 Apr. 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!