1
as in esoteric
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand
grammatical rules that seem arcane to generations of students who were never taught grammar in the first place
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2
as in cryptic
having an often intentionally veiled or uncertain meaning
the rebate form uses arcane language, the only purpose of which seems to be to disqualify buyers from actually getting a rebate
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in mysterious
being beyond one's powers to know, understand, or explain
my predecessor in this job obviously had his own arcane system for filing things, and so I haven't a clue as to where anything is
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Recent Examples of arcane
The arcane process has made news in recent years, with Nielsen losing the MRC’s blessing for national and local ratings in 2021.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2025
Some of this may happen under cover of darkness, but much of it happens in the open, under cover of arcane technocracy or boring bureaucracy.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Based on the parameters of the arcane Equine Injury Database, where only racing deaths are counted, Churchill’s spring meet had 5.39 deaths for every 1,000 starts, as computed by The Times.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
To bring this somewhat arcane competition down to earth, DARPA created an AIxCC Experience as part of the RSAC Conference.
—PC Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2025
Some of this may happen under cover of darkness, but much of it happens in the open, under cover of arcane technocracy or boring bureaucracy.
—Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025
Based on the parameters of the arcane Equine Injury Database, where only racing deaths are counted, Churchill’s spring meet had 5.39 deaths for every 1,000 starts, as computed by The Times.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
To bring this somewhat arcane competition down to earth, DARPA created an AIxCC Experience as part of the RSAC Conference.
—PC Magazine, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arcane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane
Adjective
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Everyone knows Gaudí’s architecture; his furniture is a more esoteric thing.—
Anthony Paletta,
Curbed,
20 May 2025
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His tastes ebbed and flowed between aggressive music and more esoteric tastes, as his collaborators came to range from Richard Thompson to Hal Willner, whose tribute to Federico Fellini and Nino Rota included contributions from Thomas, as did a collection of sea shanties.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Before Tessitore and Barrett could finish arguing, the screen cut out to a cryptic promo from Uncle Howdy, who teased coming after the Tag Team Titles.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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On Thursday, May 29, the 20-year-old shared a cryptic message on Instagram Stories.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Carlton Reid Based on 20 years of observations by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, new research sheds light on one of the solar system’s most mysterious planets.—
Ryan Waniata,
Wired News,
27 May 2025
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Denim shifts toward a mysterious direction in Blooming Darkness.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
27 May 2025
Adjective
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These individuals typically struggle to delegate or seek support, which can result in a profound sense of isolation.—
Lisa Bodell,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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Irsay, a Lincolnwood native who attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette, had a profound impact on the Colts franchise.—
Michael Marot,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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At first unsure, Ester allows the guy to touch her, and as a viewer the scene is ambiguous.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
24 May 2025
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The camera flies out over the water, and neither Cecilie nor the audience gets a definitive answer, with the series coming to an ambiguous and unsettling end.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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The author also varies the texture of the book by inserting poems, quotations, dramatic dialogue, a veiled account of her unhappy days at boarding school, and a lengthy digression on the German mystic Friederike Hauffe, who claimed to be clairvoyant and to communicate with spirits.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
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Further projects include psychological thriller The Olive Press, set in the mystic world of the Druze community in Mount Lebanon, from writer and director Samah El Kadi, and co-written by Nadim Chammas.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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There are some opaque methods for opening car tailgates, but Smart’s must be one of the most obscure.—
James Morris,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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That brings us to Biden’s cancer, a diagnosis that surely cast a pall over the various book tours and panel discussions on what the Bidens and their handlers did or did not obscure.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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The lyrebird is a master mimic, able to reproduce the calls of other birds, chainsaws, camera shutters, car alarms, and even human voices with uncanny precision.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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Filled with uncanny creatures and unintelligible language, the book's inspiration came, Serafini muses, either from aliens, or his cat.—
David Morgan,
CBS News,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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