esoteric
understood by only a small group with specialized knowledge
Word origin: From Greek esoterikos, inner, from eso, within.
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.
Quick GRE check
3 questions, about 2 minutes. How would you do on the real test?
Verbal · Sentence Equivalence
Far from being the revolutionary thinker his admirers claimed, the philosopher was in fact quite blank, defending the traditional doctrines of his teachers without challenge.
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.
More GRE words starting with E
to gradually decline, recede, or diminish
overflowing enthusiasm and liveliness
the quality of overflowing, bubbling enthusiasm
overflowing with cheerful enthusiasm and high spirits
deviating from conventional or accepted behavior in odd ways
a level or rank within an organization, profession, or society
drawing from a wide and diverse range of sources or styles
to deprive of importance or overshadow by being superior
Questions about “esoteric”
See these words the way the GRE tests them.
Take the free 39-minute GRE Quick Mock Test and meet words like this inside real Text Completion and Sentence Equivalence questions, with a worked solution for every answer.