obscurantism

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noun

A state of opposition to human progress or enlightenment.

OriginLatin obscūrans →
RareScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounobscurantism (countable and uncountable, plural obscurantisms)

plural obscurantisms

  1. countableuncountableA state of opposition to human progress or enlightenment.
  2. countableuncountableDeliberate obscurity or vagueness.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
ignorantism

Origin

  1. Latinobscūrans
  2. Englishobscurantism

From Latin obscūrans, from obscūrō (“to cover, darken, obscure”) + -ism.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian мракобесие
  • мракобесие (mrakobesie)state of opposition to progress
Catalan obscurantisme
  • obscurantismedeliberate obscurity or vagueness
Chinese Mandarin 蒙昧主義 /蒙昧主义, 愚民政策
  • 蒙昧主義 /蒙昧主义 (méngmèizhǔyì)state of opposition to progress
  • 愚民政策 (yúmín zhèngcè)state of opposition to progress
  • 蒙昧主義 /蒙昧主义 (méngmèizhǔyì)deliberate obscurity or vagueness
  • 愚民政策 (yúmín zhèngcè)deliberate obscurity or vagueness
Czech obskurantismus
  • obskurantismusdeliberate obscurity or vagueness
Finnish obskurantismi, epämääräisyys
  • obskurantismistate of opposition to progress
  • epämääräisyysdeliberate obscurity or vagueness
  • kiertelydeliberate obscurity or vagueness
French obscurantisme, obscurantisme
  • obscurantismestate of opposition to progress
  • obscurantismedeliberate obscurity or vagueness
German Obskurantismus
  • Obskurantismusdeliberate obscurity or vagueness
Greek σκοταδισμός, σκοταδισμός
  • σκοταδισμός (skotadismós)state of opposition to progress
  • σκοταδισμός (skotadismós)deliberate obscurity or vagueness
Hungarian obskurantizmus, obskurantizmus
  • obskurantizmusstate of opposition to progress
  • obskurantizmusdeliberate obscurity or vagueness
Japanese 蒙昧主義
  • 蒙昧主義 (mōmaishugi)deliberate obscurity or vagueness
Portuguese obscurantismo, obscurantismo
  • obscurantismostate of opposition to progress
  • obscurantismodeliberate obscurity or vagueness
Romanian obscurantism
  • obscurantismdeliberate obscurity or vagueness
Russian мракобесие, реакционность
  • мракобесие (mrakobesije)state of opposition to progress
  • реакционность (reakcionnostʹ)state of opposition to progress
  • обскуранти́зм (obskurantízm)deliberate obscurity or vagueness
  • мракобе́сие (mrakobésije)deliberate obscurity or vagueness
Spanish oscurantismo, obscurantismo
  • oscurantismodeliberate obscurity or vagueness
  • obscurantismodeliberate obscurity or vagueness
Swedish obskurantism, bildningsfientlighet
  • obskurantismstate of opposition to progress
  • bildningsfientlighetstate of opposition to progress
Ukrainian мракобі́сся, обскуранти́зм
  • мракобі́сся (mrakobíssja)state of opposition to progress
  • обскуранти́зм (obskurantýzm)state of opposition to progress
  • обскуранти́зм (obskurantýzm)deliberate obscurity or vagueness
Cite this entry
APA

obscurantism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obscurantism

MLA

“obscurantism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obscurantism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “obscurantism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obscurantism.

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