arcane

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English

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Latin arcānus (hidden, secret), from arceō (to shut up, enclose); cognate with Latin arca (a chest).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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arcane (comparative more arcane, superlative most arcane)

  1. Understood by only a few.
    Synonym: esoteric
    Antonym: mundane
    arcane rituals
  2. (by extension) Obscure, mysterious.
    Synonyms: enigmatic, esoteric, recondite, clandestine
    arcane origins
    arcane details
  3. Requiring secret or mysterious knowledge to understand.
    • 1997: Chris Horrocks, Introducing Foucault, page 67, The Renaissance Episteme (Totem Books, Icon Books; →ISBN
      A “signature” was placed on all things by God to indicate their affinities — but it was hidden, hence the search for arcane knowledge. Knowing was guessing and interpreting, not observing or demonstrating.
  4. Extremely old (e.g. interpretation or knowledge), and possibly irrelevant.
    an arcane law

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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French

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Adjective

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arcane (plural arcanes)

  1. (dated) arcane, secret, mysterious

Noun

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arcane m (plural arcanes)

  1. (chiefly in the plural) mysteries, arcanum

Further reading

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Italian

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Adjective

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arcane

  1. feminine plural of arcano

Anagrams

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Latin

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Adjective

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arcāne

  1. vocative masculine singular of arcānus

Anagrams

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