Added 9 October 2026
esoteric
/ˌiː.səʊˈtɛɹ.ɪk/ adjective
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about esoteric at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Confined to and understandable by only an enlightened inner circle.
a compilation of esoteric philosophical theories
Origin
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἐσωτερικός (esōterikós, “belonging to an inner circle”), from ἐσωτέρω (esōtérō, “further inside”), comparative of ἔσω (ésō, “within”), from ἐς (es), εἰς (eis, “into”) (the term esoteric referred originally to the secret teachings of Greek philosophers, versus public or exoteric ones).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)