ESOTERIC Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

esoteric

adjective

ˌe-sə-ˈter-ik

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

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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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of esoteric With athletic directors increasingly consumed by revenue generation, schools are relying more and more on outside firms to help fill holes up and down their staff directories, from Olympic sports coaches to even more esoteric positions. —

Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 16 Jan. 2025 Certainly, the many other bravura moments of The Return suggest a storyteller with enough juice to make even his most fanciful, esoteric ideas and characters into reality. —

Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2025 Few other topics seem to lend themselves so generously to esoteric offerings and crowd-pleasing genre fare, to the page and the screen. —

Matthew Redmond, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2025 The cinematic language Expressionist filmmakers invented was esoteric, literally and figuratively shadowy, cerebral, and heavily symbolic. —

Elle Carroll, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for esoteric

Recent Examples of Synonyms for esoteric

Adjective

This change has been accompanied by profound cultural change, with food and practices generally associated with Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries becoming more common in the state.

— Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 16 Feb. 2025
Keith remains to a large degree elusive, but Magaro subtly gives us insight into what drives his artistry, which is then augmented by Watts’ observations, from a critic’s P.O.V., and those of Manfred, a protective friend and professional associate with a profound respect for Jarrett’s gifts.

— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2025