ARCANE Synonyms: 161 Similar and Opposite Words

arcane

adjective

är-ˈkān

Definition of arcane

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of arcane The early quantum pioneers didn’t realize — at first — that the arcane math that strikingly captured the conduct of atoms had left the real world behind. — Quanta Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026 For most Thai citizens, the selection of 200 new senators in 2024 through an arcane and untested self-nomination system barely registered, creating ample opportunity for manipulation. — Duncan McCargo, Foreign Affairs, 24 Aug. 2026 The reason that everyone is suddenly talking about Natalie Harp is because of speechwriting, an origin that seems almost arcane in the rhetoric-hungry electorate. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2026 That’s not just an arcane question of interest to paleontologists. — Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arcane

Recent Examples of Synonyms for arcane

Adjective

There’s as much effort gone into the food as there is the drinks menu, and the esoteric array of tropical flavors straddles both impressively.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
Created in the 17th century, Japan’s Fujiko faith fuses Shinto and esoteric Buddhism in its reverence for Mount Fuji, the country’s highest peak.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of esoteric

Adjective

The cryptic eco-disaster project will represent a loss of hundreds of millions when all is said and done.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Emanuel’s cryptic comment comes amid claims that Meghan was in early talks to star in the third season of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series The Gentlemen.

— Allison DeGrushe, StyleCaster, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of cryptic

Adjective

Someone who has regarded filmmaking as a mysterious occupation might begin to see a way into it.

— Philip Martin, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
But despite these regular airings, the origin of the mysterious Jardine Star Brooch has remained tantalizingly unexplained for decades.

— Eva Wolchover, Vanity Fair, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of mysterious

Adjective

But the future of early-career employment is increasingly ambiguous, largely due to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

— Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
From here on out, the authorship of Tae-ju’s life is ambiguous, as well as constantly in flux, buffeted by the whims and suggestions of others, as well as by her own impulses.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambiguous

Adjective

Chalk it up to my obsession with Twin Peaks, affinity for mossy landscapes, and lifelong fascination with all things misty and mystic; the Pacific Northwest has always felt like a second home.

— Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026
Two translations—of poems by the Indian mystic Mirabai and the contemporary Romanian poet Radu Vancu—seek to inhabit and transcend the history that holds up the present.

— Craig Morgan Teicher, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of mystic

Adjective

What came next would eventually turn an obscure Medicaid settlement into a criminal investigation.

— Christopher Spata, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
There was very little original local production, and people were finding their favourite TV shows through obscure corners of the web.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of obscure

Adjective

Its obvious artificiality and absurdity fit neatly into an online meme culture that often revels in the uncanny.

— Angela Yang, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
All of this is part of Flanagan’s general preference for giving characters the benefit of the doubt and for grounding the eerie and the uncanny in our lived experiences.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of uncanny

Browse Nearby Words

arcadias

arcane

arced

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“Arcane.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arcane. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of arcane

adjective

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