obscurant

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UK/ɒbˈskjʊəɹənt/US/ɑbˈskjəɹənt/

adjective

Acting or tending to confound, obfuscate, or obscure.

OriginGerman Obskurant ← French obscurant ← Latin obscūrant- →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

adjectiveobscurant (comparative more obscurant, superlative most obscurant)

comparative more obscurant · superlative most obscurant

  1. Acting or tending to confound, obfuscate, or obscure.
  2. Typical of or pertaining to obscurants; obscurantic; obscurantistic.
nounobscurant (plural obscurants)

plural obscurants

  1. One who acts to confound or obfuscate; an obscurantist.
  2. A person who seeks to prevent or hinder enquiry and the advancement of knowledge or wisdom; an agent of endarkenment.
  3. An opposer of lucidity and transparency in the political and intellectual spheres.

Origin

  1. Latinobscūrant-
  2. Frenchobscurant
  3. GermanObskurant
  4. Englishobscurant

Entering English circa 1793–1799: From German Obskurant and French obscurant, from classical Latin obscūrant-, stem of obscūrāns, present participle of obscūrāre (“to obscure”), from obscūrus (“dark”).

More words from German, French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian мракобесник, реакционер
  • мракобесник (mrakobesnik)an opposer of lucidity and transparency in the political and intellectual spheres
  • реакционер (reakcioner)an opposer of lucidity and transparency in the political and intellectual spheres
German Dunkelmann, Obskurant
  • Dunkelmannan opposer of lucidity and transparency in the political and intellectual spheres
  • Obskurantan opposer of lucidity and transparency in the political and intellectual spheres
Russian мракобе́с, обскура́нт
  • мракобе́с (mrakobés)an opposer of lucidity and transparency in the political and intellectual spheres
  • обскура́нт (obskuránt)an opposer of lucidity and transparency in the political and intellectual spheres
  • обскура́нтка (obskurántka)an opposer of lucidity and transparency in the political and intellectual spheres

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

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Cite this entry
APA

obscurant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obscurant

MLA

“obscurant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obscurant. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “obscurant,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obscurant.

Source: obscurant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.