Meanings
comparative more arcane · superlative most arcane
- Understood by only a few.
arcane rituals
4 more examples
arcane knowledge
The professor’s lecture was full of arcane references.
The manuscript contained arcane symbols no one could decipher.
He had an arcane knowledge of ancient rituals.
- broadlyObscure, mysterious.
arcane origins
1 more example
arcane details
Synonyms: enigmatic, esoteric, recondite, clandestine
- Requiring secret or mysterious knowledge to understand.
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.
1997: Chris Horrocks, Introducing Foucault, page 67, The Renaissance Episteme (Totem Books, Icon Books; →ISBN) - Extremely old (e.g. interpretation or knowledge), and possibly irrelevant.
an arcane law
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveObscure, mysterious.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiverequiring secret or mysterious knowledge
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂erk-
- Latinarca
- Latinarcānus
- Englisharcane
Borrowed from Latin arcānus (“hidden, secret”), from arceō (“to shut up, enclose”); cognate with Latin arca (“a chest”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian тайнствен, езотеричен
- тайнствен (tajnstven)understood by only a few; obscure
- езотеричен (ezoteričen)understood by only a few; obscure
Catalan arcà, secret
- arcàunderstood by only a few; obscure
- secretunderstood by only a few; obscure
Czech tajuplný, tajemný
- tajuplnýunderstood by only a few; obscure
- tajemnýunderstood by only a few; obscure
Dutch geheim, duister
- geheimunderstood by only a few; obscure
- duisterunderstood by only a few; obscure
Esperanto arkana
- arkanaunderstood by only a few; obscure
Finnish salainen
- salainenunderstood by only a few; obscure
French arcane
- arcaneunderstood by only a few; obscure
German geheim, geheimnisvoll
- geheimunderstood by only a few; obscure
- geheimnisvollunderstood by only a few; obscure
- obskurunderstood by only a few; obscure
- arkanunderstood by only a few; obscure
Greek απόκρυφος, μυστικός
- απόκρυφος (apókryfos)understood by only a few; obscure
- μυστικός (mystikós)understood by only a few; obscure
Icelandic hulinn, dulinn
- hulinnunderstood by only a few; obscure
- dulinnunderstood by only a few; obscure
Italian arcano
- arcanounderstood by only a few; obscure
Latin arcānus
- arcānusunderstood by only a few; obscure
Persian سری
- سری (serriyy)understood by only a few; obscure
Portuguese arcano
- arcanounderstood by only a few; obscure
Russian та́йный, таи́нственный
- та́йный (tájnyj)understood by only a few; obscure
- таи́нственный (taínstvennyj)understood by only a few; obscure
- мисти́ческий (mistíčeskij)understood by only a few; obscure
- скры́тый (skrýtyj)understood by only a few; obscure
Spanish arcano
- arcanounderstood by only a few; obscure
Swedish esoterisk, mystisk
- esoteriskunderstood by only a few; obscure
- mystiskunderstood by only a few; obscure
- hemligunderstood by only a few; obscure
- fördoldunderstood by only a few; obscure
- svårtillgängligunderstood by only a few; obscure
- sekretunderstood by only a few; obscure
- hemlighetsfullunderstood by only a few; obscure
Turkish esrarlı, gizemli
- esrarlıunderstood by only a few; obscure
- gizemliunderstood by only a few; obscure
- saklıunderstood by only a few; obscure
- içrekunderstood by only a few; obscure
Ukrainian таємний, прихований
- таємний (tajemnyj)understood by only a few; obscure
- прихований (pryxovanyj)understood by only a few; obscure
- містичний (mistyčnyj)understood by only a few; obscure
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with arcane
Anagrams
Cite this entry
arcane. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arcane
“arcane.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arcane. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “arcane,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/arcane.
Source: arcane on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.