1
as in profound
difficult for one of ordinary knowledge or intelligence to understand
metaphysics is such an esoteric subject that most people are content to leave it to the philosophers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in confidential
not known or meant to be known by the general populace
must have had some esoteric motive for leaving his art collection to a museum halfway around the globe
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of esoteric
The second floor is fully stocked with cookbooks and esoteric kitchenware.
—
Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
An esoteric tradition takes Solomon’s wisdom to be the Ars Goetia, ritual magic used to summon and bind demons.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The spa In addition to classic spa services like facials and massages, the Post Ranch spa offers more esoteric experiences including shaman sessions (for both individuals and couples), a power animal drum journey, astrology, energy balancing, and forest meditation.
—Lauren Sloss, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
No private start-up is going to address esoteric diseases.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for esoteric
Matt Kirouac, Travel + Leisure, 29 Jan. 2026
An esoteric tradition takes Solomon’s wisdom to be the Ars Goetia, ritual magic used to summon and bind demons.
—Hari Kunzru, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The spa In addition to classic spa services like facials and massages, the Post Ranch spa offers more esoteric experiences including shaman sessions (for both individuals and couples), a power animal drum journey, astrology, energy balancing, and forest meditation.
—Lauren Sloss, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
No private start-up is going to address esoteric diseases.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for esoteric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for esoteric
Adjective
-
For the journalist’s son, Anshul Chhatrapati, the verdict was a moment of profound relief after a fight extending nearly two decades.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Cuddihy and his colleagues theorized that these regular encounters with fire—and their unwanted consequences—would inevitably have a profound effect on any species over tens of thousands of years.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
During the sentencing hearing that began last week, prosecutors revealed the previously confidential contents of a handwritten note with Thompson's name and the shooting date found at his family's house in the Hedingham subdivision.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
All calls will be kept confidential.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The fact that Katherine had been institutionalized may have tainted her scholarly reputation.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Brown-Grier argued that this knowledge gap is not just a scholarly problem but a governance one.—
Marybeth Gasman,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
At first, video footage of the potential suspect wasn't available under Guthrie's subscription plan, but it was recovered by authorities and private-sector partners.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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The designation would mean no change for the hundreds of private property owners in the zone.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Sharon used to be the company’s secret weapon, a beautiful, smart and immaculately presented businesswoman who flattered hard cash out of horny old billionaires.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Typical zero-knowledge proofs require a demonstration of how to build what’s called a simulator, which can re-create the steps of the proof without actually knowing the secret solution.—
Peter Hall,
Scientific American,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Bennett left Monday’s loss to the Sabres with an injury, Lundell had missed two games with an upper-body injury and Marchand had missed two games with an undisclosed injury.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
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The partnership comes as enGEN3 joins the GK Labs ecosystem as one of its inaugural flagship projects, with GK Labs making an undisclosed seed investment into enGEN3’s current funding round.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Esoteric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/esoteric. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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