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GRE vocabulary

esoteric

adjectiveHigh-frequency wordMore E words

understood by only a small group with specialized knowledge

Word origin: From Greek esoterikos, inner, from eso, within.

In a sentence

Esoteric in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing esoteric in a sentence.

The lecture was so esoteric that only specialists could follow it.

The lecture quickly veered into esoteric debates that only a handful of specialists could follow.

Antonyms
accessiblecommonexoteric
Usage & nuance

Using “esoteric” well

Esoteric describes knowledge confined to a small, initiated circle. It is more about restricted intelligibility than mere obscurity, and pairs with arcane and abstruse.

Common questions

Questions about “esoteric

Esoteric (adjective) means understood by only a small group with specialized knowledge
Here is esoteric used in an example sentence: "The lecture was so esoteric that only specialists could follow it." Another example: "The lecture quickly veered into esoteric debates that only a handful of specialists could follow."
Common synonyms for esoteric include arcane, abstruse, recondite.
Antonyms of esoteric include accessible, common, exoteric.
Clusters with arcane, abstruse, and recondite in Sentence Equivalence. Its antonyms accessible, common, and exoteric mark the contrast, exoteric being its formal opposite.
Yes. Esoteric is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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