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I imagine explaining a work of art to my grandmother in five minutes, and if I can't explain it in five minutes, then it's too obtuse or esoteric.
Shea Hembrey

Meaning of "esoteric" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD ESOTERIC

From Greek esōterikos, from esōterō inner.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF ESOTERIC

esoteric  [ˌɛsəʊˈtɛrɪk] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF ESOTERIC

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Esoteric is an adjective.
The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

WHAT DOES ESOTERIC MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Esotericism

Esotericism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs, that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group of those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest. The term derives from the Greek ἐσωτερικός , a compound of ἔσω : "within", thus pertaining to interiority or mysticism. Its antonym is "exoteric". The term can also refer to the academic study of esoteric religious movements and philosophies, or to the study of those religious movements and philosophies whose proponents distinguish their beliefs, practices, and experiences from mainstream exoteric and more dogmatic institutionalized traditions. Examples of esoteric religious movements and philosophies include Alchemy, Astrology, Anthroposophy, early Christian mysticism, Freemasonry, Gnosticism, Kabbalah, Neoplatonism, Magic, Merkabah mysticism, Mesmerism, Rosicrucianism, Taoism, Numerology, Swedenborgianism, Scientology, Spiritualism, the Alawites, the Theosophy of Jacob Böhme and his followers, and the Theosophical revivalist movement associated with Helena Blavatsky.

Definition of esoteric in the English dictionary

The first definition of esoteric in the dictionary is restricted to or intended for an enlightened or initiated minority, esp because of abstruseness or obscurity. Other definition of esoteric is difficult to understand; abstruse. Esoteric is also not openly admitted; private.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH ESOTERIC


amphoteric
ˌæmfəˈtɛrɪk
archenteric
ˌɑːkənˈtɛrɪk
bacteric
bækˈtɛrɪk
cholesteric
ˌkəʊləˈstɛrɪk
coelenteric
ˌsiːlɛnˈtɛrɪk
dysenteric
ˌdɪsənˈtɛrɪk
enteric
ɛnˈtɛrɪk
exoteric
ˌɛksəʊˈtɛrɪk
gastroenteric
ˌɡæstrəʊɛnˈtɛrɪk
holosteric
ˌhɒləˈstɛrɪk
hysteric
hɪˈstɛrɪk
isosteric
ˌaɪsəʊˈstɛrɪk
masseteric
ˌmæsɪˈtɛrɪk
mesenteric
ˌmɛsənˈtɛrɪk
neoteric
ˌniːəʊˈtɛrɪk
penteteric
ˌpɛntɪˈtɛrɪk
phylacteric
ˌfɪlækˈtɛrɪk
steric
ˈstɛrɪk
trochanteric
ˌtrəʊkænˈtɛrɪk
ureteric
ˌjʊərɪˈtɛrɪk

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE ESOTERIC

esne
esnecy
ESO
esophageal
esophagi
esophagoscope
esophagus
esoterica
esoterically
esotericism
esotericist
esoterism
esotery
esotropia
esotropic
esp
espada
espadrille
espagnole
espagnolette

WORDS THAT END LIKE ESOTERIC

allosteric
alphanumeric
antihysteric
atmospheric
cadaveric
ceric
cleric
climacteric
deuteric
eric
etheric
generic
Homeric
icteric
lienteric
numeric
polymeric
sphincteric
trieteric
turmeric

Synonyms and antonyms of esoteric in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «ESOTERIC»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «esoteric» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of esoteric

Translation of «esoteric» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF ESOTERIC

Find out the translation of esoteric to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of esoteric from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «esoteric» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

深奥难懂的
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

esotérico
570 millions of speakers

English

esoteric
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

गूढ़
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

مقصور على فئة معينة
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

эзотерическая
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

esotérico
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

গূঢ়
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

ésotérique
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Esoterik
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

esoterisch
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

秘伝の
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

비전의
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Esoterik
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

bí truyền
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

ஆச்சரியத்திற்குரிய
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

गूढ
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

ezoterik
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

esoterico
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

ezoteryczny
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

езотерична
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

ezoteric
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

απόκρυφα
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

esoteriese
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

esoteriska
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

esoteriske
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of esoteric

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «ESOTERIC»

The term «esoteric» is quite widely used and occupies the 30.483 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Quite widely used
86
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «esoteric» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of esoteric
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «esoteric».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «ESOTERIC» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «esoteric» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «esoteric» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about esoteric

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «ESOTERIC»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word esoteric.
1
Mayim Bialik
I think neuroscience is obviously very esoteric, but I think there are aspects of it that can absolutely be brought down to the level of an interested 11-, 12-, 13-year-old easily.
2
Helena Blavatsky
The Secret Doctrine is the common property of the countless millions of men born under various climates, in times with which History refuses to deal, and to which esoteric teachings assign dates incompatible with the theories of Geology and Anthropology.
3
Anthony Braxton
I am interested in the study of music and the discipline of music and the experience of music and music as a esoteric mechanism to continue my real intentions.
4
Julia Cameron
I believe that when we ask to be led, we are led, and there's nothing too small or esoteric for spiritual help.
5
Francisco Costa
I hate to sound esoteric, but there is something about a house that leads you to that one chair, that one corner, where you just sit and feel comfortable.
6
Nick D'Aloisio
I thought of the idea of Summly in March or April 2011. I was 15 years old and I was revising for some kind of history exam. The problem was I was trying to find information that was useful to me. When you type into Google an esoteric term, you get quite a lot of stuff that's not relevant.
7
Denis Dutton
It's clear on the one hand that an education enriches and informs a response to beauty, even makes it possible in esoteric cases. On the other hand, there's no question that someone with no musical education whatsoever might wander into a concert hall and be overwhelmed by the 'Beethoven Pastoral Symphony'.
8
Jesse Eisenberg
Acting is kind of difficult to intellectualize - it's a far more visceral experience. It's really hard to be able to think about and then employ these kind of esoteric notions of this person's backstory and try to weave it in somehow. It's just kind of impossible.
9
Dave Gibbons
Comics are a particularly esoteric field where you really learn how to do it, by doing it or by learning from other practitioners.
10
Shea Hembrey
I imagine explaining a work of art to my grandmother in five minutes, and if I can't explain it in five minutes, then it's too obtuse or esoteric.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «ESOTERIC»

Discover the use of esoteric in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to esoteric and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Esoteric Astrology
"An excellent presentation which examines all aspects of esoteric astrology. Recommended." --The Yes Guide This work deals with natal astrology in a manner never before attempted by any author.
Alan Leo, 1978
2
Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of ...
The Unpredictable Constitution brings together a distinguished group of U.S. Supreme Court Justices and U.S. Court of Appeals Judges, who are some of our most prominent legal scholars, to discuss an array of topics on civil liberties.
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, 2003
3
Esoteric Anatomy: The Body as Consciousness
Esoteric Anatomy offers a spiritual approach to massage, bodywork, and somatic psychology, demystifying an ancient transpersonal model for understanding energy in nature and working with consciousness in the healing arts.
Bruce Burger, 2012
4
The Esoteric Philosophy of Love and Marriage
Through a simple explanation of the factors governing interaction between masculine and feminine, Fortune reveals the psychology of love and relationships.
Dion Fortune, 2000
5
Guidance in Esoteric Training: From the Esoteric School
Selected from the material given by Rudolf S teiner to members of his Esoteric School, this volume featur es exercises, meditations and practices for spiritual develo pment '
Rudolf Steiner, 1998
6
Esoteric Development: Selected Lectures and Writings
This edition brings together an ordered sequence of statements by Steiner on the development of higher, suprasensory knowing -- imagination, inspiration, and intuition.
Rudolf Steiner, 2003
7
Esoteric Orders and Their Work
This book removes the shroudof mystery and fear from esotericism, and makes the Western Mystery Tradition accessible to anyone who has ever been curious about this fascinating spiritual path!
Dion Fortune, 2000
8
Esoteric Masonry: The Storehouse Unlocked
"Warning: do not attempt to teach this truth as your own. it is not. it is not mine. it is Universal. Do not invite a penalty you are powerless to escape. I who warn thee am Phyoltus".
Phylotus, 19
9
Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric ...
This groundbreaking work describes the historical origins of the Tantric movement in early medieval India.
Ronald M. Davidson, 2013
10
Esoteric Structure of the Alphabet
Reconstructing the hidden outlines of meaning from in the alphabet.
Alvin Boyd Kuhn, 19

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «ESOTERIC»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term esoteric is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Paying the price
THE Alawites, an esoteric Muslim sect living mainly in Syria's coastal hinterland, number only a few million, but they make up a disproportionate ... «The Economist, Jul 15»
2
England's Hidden Reverse Republished
England's Hidden Reverse, the celebrated history of the UK's esoteric underground by The Wire contributor David Keenan, is getting a ... «The Quietus, Jul 15»
3
How the French Think by Sudhir Hazareesingh review – from …
Their modern bookshops have shelves of “esoteric literature” – but so do the mind, body, spirit sections of anglophone retailers. And the French ... «The Guardian, Jul 15»
4
Off the Grid: 5 State Parks that Deserve National Attention
The problem with state parks is their esoteric, often memorialized naming that fails to help travelers appreciate the draw. This is especially true ... «Paste Magazine, Jul 15»
5
At the Alone Experience, You Pay to Be Manhandled and Forced to …
But Alone takes a more esoteric approach, drawing inspiration not just from horror but from sources as varied as downtown Los Angeles car ... «L.A. Weekly, Jul 15»
6
Editors Keith Phipps and Scott Tobias on the End of The Dissolve …
... who approached films old and new, commercial and esoteric, foreign and domestic with equal enthusiasm and curiosity. We did not want to ... «Indie Wire, Jul 15»
7
Getting Ready to Jam with Colbert
“It could be funny one night, and another night it could be just something weird, esoteric—almost performance art.” Batiste, meanwhile, has the ... «The New Yorker, Jul 15»
8
Moving Mountains with Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman
Basic, fundamental, I'm not talking about esoteric criminal justice bills or reforms. To me, the cluster of issues that we have focused on are just ... «New York Observer, Jul 15»
9
The Curious Inspiration Behind Unmasked: Demiurges
Sergio: Our main interest was to express a dark and esoteric atmosphere without being too serious. The acting and the yellow everyday life ... «The Phoblographer, Jul 15»
10
New Belgium's Zag On campaign promotes individuality
“New Belgium brewers are always taking risks and using esoteric ingredients.” The Zag On campaign not only features stories and videos, but ... «Rocky Mountain Collegian, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Esoteric [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/esoteric>. Apr 2024 ».
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