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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of arcane
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.
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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
What might look like a great sale on a GPU or gaming keyboard can turn out to be a bad deal because of some arcane spec that only the most die-hard forum-dwellers understand.
—Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arcane 
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
What might look like a great sale on a GPU or gaming keyboard can turn out to be a bad deal because of some arcane spec that only the most die-hard forum-dwellers understand.
—Eric Ravenscraft, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for arcane
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane
Adjective
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In the 1980s, a mathematician posed a geometric version of one of the program’s key components — the geometric Langlands conjecture, which involves esoteric mathematical objects called sheaves.Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024
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The Treatment Components Over the course of four days of the Rebalance and Energize program, refined by various medical and nutritional consultations and diagnoses, my agenda was a lineup of esoteric/scientific, alternative therapy and purely sybaritic offerings.Laurie Werner, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Fans and friends alike can’t get enough of the abstract albeit cryptic cover art.Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 19 Dec. 2024
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Read: Pets really can be like human family Wearables could be especially helpful for cats, who are notoriously cryptic and tend to hide pain until a condition has significantly progressed.Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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When the news first broke in the DRC, Michael Osterholm — director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota — told NPR that this type of mysterious outbreak happens several times a year worldwide.Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024
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As the two try to piece things together, a mysterious woman walks into the room holding a gun.Yasmeen Hamadeh, People.com, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This is compounded by the fact that at the center of the black hole lies a singularity, at which point all our laws of physics break down, making gibberish of even our most nuanced and profound achievements in physics.Robert Lea, Space.com, 30 Dec. 2024
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The economic fallout of this legal gap is profound.Virginie Berger, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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While Reeves will reprise his role as the iconic assassin in the upcoming movie, fans are eager for a potential John Wick 5 thanks to the ambiguous ending of John Wick 4.Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 30 Dec. 2024
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While this bias is common across various domains, its effects in the business world can be particularly catastrophic, especially in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment.Bryce Hoffman, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The port is a gateway to the state’s lush jungles, ancient ruins, and mystic traditions.Meagan Drillinger, AFAR Media, 17 Dec. 2024
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Set in the long period of winter darkness in Alaska, the mystic crime drama puts Chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Detective Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) to work investigating the frozen deaths of seven men at a research facility.Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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An obscure, yet utterly delicious, grower Champagne from Charles De Cazanove is poured by the glass—and the cellar list offers cult splits like Louis Latour Chassagne-Montrachet and Cos D'Estournel Bordeaux Red Blend that guests can purchase with cash or miles.Jeanne O'Brien Coffey, Forbes, 30 Dec. 2024
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They’re housed within the Department of Justice and run from an obscure corner of the bureaucracy called the Executive Office for Immigration Review in the Justice.Brian Bennett, TIME, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Both years, Durbin showed an uncanny ability to steal bases.Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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Wilson said Isaacman has an uncanny ability to get in the weeds despite being the CEO of a company that now has more than 3,000 employees.MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 18 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near arcane
Cite this Entry
“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
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