arcane

Meaning

1. Understood by only a few.
2. Obscure, mysterious.
3. Requiring secret or mysterious knowledge to understand.
4. Extremely old (e.g. interpretation or knowledge), and possibly irrelevant.

Synonyms

secret

㊙️

dark

obscure

mystic

covert

abstruse

magical

mysterious

hush-hush

inexplicable

mystical

mystifying

occult

opaque

privy

prolix

restricted

sealed

sneak

sneaking

surreptitious

uncanny

undercover

under-the-counter

undisclosed

unlisted

Rosicrucian

under-the-table

sub-rosa

under wraps

backstair

backstairs

dim

enigmatic

esoteric

ex-directory

hidden

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɑɹˈkeɪn/

Etymology

Cognate with Latin: arca

In summary

Borrowed from Latin arcānus (“hidden, secret”), from arceō (“to shut up, enclose”); cognate with Latin arca (“a chest”).