restricted to or intended for an enlightened or initiated minority, esp because of abstruseness or obscurity
an esoteric cult
Compare exoteric
2.
difficult to understand; abstruse
an esoteric statement
3.
not openly admitted; private
esoteric aims
Derived forms
esoterically (ˌesoˈterically)
adverb
esotericism (ˌesoˈteriˌcism) or esoterism (ˌeˈsoteˌrism)
noun
Word origin
C17: from Greek esōterikos, from esōterō inner
esoterism in American English
(ˈesətəˌrɪzəm, ˌesəˈterɪz-)
noun
esotericism
Derived forms
esoterist
noun
Word origin
[1825–35; ‹ Gk esóter(os) inner + -ism]This word is first recorded in the period 1825–35. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: cliché, electrolyte, individualism, relativity, torque-ism is a suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it was used to form action nounsfrom verbs (baptism). On this model, -ism is used as a productive suffix in the formation of nouns denoting action or practice,state or condition, principles, doctrines, a usage or characteristic, devotion oradherence, etc. (criticism; barbarism; Darwinism; despotism; plagiarism; realism; witticism; intellectualism)
Examples of 'esoterism' in a sentence
esoterism
The dangers are the following: commercialisation, corporationalism, esoterism, politicalisation,bureaucratization, technocracy and barbarisation.
Daniel Roland Sobota 2016, 'Antinomies of Professionalism: The Philosophical and Historical Considerations', Journal of Corporate Responsibility and Leadershiphttp://jcrl.umk.pl/files/7914/8837/2736/Sobota.pdf. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)