Esoteric: Definition & Meaning for the SAT
⚡️ ESOTERIC most nearly means: (A) essential; (B) exotic; (C) obscure; (D) elementary. 👉 Answer + examples, pronunciation, and explanation inside.
📣 TL;DR: Esoteric means understood by or meant for only a small group with specialized knowledge or interest. Think of a small, secret society with specific knowledge others don't know about. Mnemonic to help remember: Something like my SO [significant other] Eric has super secret knowledge about [insert your favorite hobby here].
ℹ️ Part of Speech of Esoteric
esoteric is an ADJECTIVE.
🗣️ Pronunciation of Esoteric
New! IPA Reference Chart
esoteric is pronounced /ˌɛs.əˈtɛr.ɪk/ or es-uh-TAIR-ik.
📚️ Definition of Esoteric
Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with specialized knowledge or interest. Example: The physicist's esoteric research papers were incomprehensible to laypeople.
📰 Examples of Esoteric
Here are some examples of the word esoteric:
While many of his friends enjoyed mainstream pop music, Jake had more esoteric taste in music, from Japanese noise rock to early American bluegrass.
The antique dealer specialized in esoteric collectibles such as Victorian hair art.
Even most esoteric knowledge cannot benefit society, no matter how important, if it is not disseminated.
✅ Quiz answer
Answer to the question above:
C, obscure. Explanations: A doesn't work; essential means necessary or fundamental. B is close but wrong; exotic means foreign or unusual, not necessarily hard to understand. D is the opposite; elementary means basic or simple.