arcane

adjective

ar·​cane är-ˈkān 

: known or knowable only to a few people : secret

arcane rites

an arcane ritual

broadly : mysterious, obscure

arcane explanations

arcane technical details

Synonyms

• abstruse
• deep
• esoteric
• hermetic
• hermetical
• profound
• recondite

Examples of arcane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In those first two years, Democrats used the arcane maneuver to bypass GOP opposition to approve a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, known as the American Rescue Plan, in 2021. —Aris Folley, The Hill, 5 Dec. 2024

But beyond just raising awareness, the director aimed to strip away decades of dry policy papers and arcane philosophical frameworks that have normalized the existence of nuclear arsenals quite literally capable of destroying the world. —Bryan Walsh, Vox, 21 Nov. 2024

But what about the odder, more arcane landmarks that once dotted the city? —Maia Pandey, Journal Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2024

The practice of including recent art in historical exhibitions, an increasingly common art museum schtick, means to make supposedly arcane subjects relevant and timely by suggesting that living artists still engage those themes. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024

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