Recondite
/ˈrɛkənˌdaɪt/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Recondite means something that is hard to understand because it deals with very deep, complex, or hidden knowledge. It is often used for ideas, subjects, or information that only a few people with special knowledge can understand.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
Difficult to understand because it is about deep or hidden knowledge
- •The professor’s lecture was full of recondite ideas about quantum physics.
- •The book contains recondite information that only scholars can appreciate.
- •His research explores recondite topics in ancient philosophy.
(Less common) Little known or hidden from general knowledge
- •The manuscript revealed recondite facts about medieval history.
- •She enjoys reading recondite poetry that few people know about.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "recondite" like "hard" or "difficult," but much more about special or hidden knowledge, not just any difficulty
- ✓Picture a thick book filled with small letters and strange ideas that most people cannot easily read or understand
- ✓It's the feeling when you listen to a very technical lecture and realize it is beyond your usual knowledge
- ✓Sounds like "wreck-on-dite" → imagine a shipwreck hidden deep under the sea, hard to find and understand
- ✓Think of a secret code or ancient language that only some experts can read and explain
- ✓NOT like "simple" or "easy" which everyone can understand; "recondite" means hidden or secret knowledge that needs special study
- ✓NOT like "common" or "popular" knowledge; it is rare and specialized
- ✓NOT like "confusing" because of unclear language, but "recondite" because of deep, specialized meaning
Try Other Words
- •Obscure: not clear or well known (Use when something is unknown or unclear, but not necessarily deeply complex)
- •Complex: made of many parts and hard to understand (Use when something is complicated but not necessarily hidden or secret)
- •Arcane: known or understood by only a few people (Use when emphasizing secret or mysterious knowledge)
- •Esoteric: intended for or understood by only a small group (Use when the knowledge is limited to a special group)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: from Latin "re-" (again, back) + "condere" (to put together, hide, store)
- •Etymology: From Latin "reconditus," meaning hidden or secret
- •Historical development: First used in English in the early 1600s to describe knowledge that is hidden or difficult to understand
- •Modern usage: Used mainly in academic, literary, or formal contexts to describe difficult, specialized knowledge or subjects
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a time when you encountered recondite information that was hard to understand? How did you try to learn it?
•Why do you think some knowledge is recondite and only shared with a few people? What are the benefits or problems of this?
Fill in the blanks
1.The scientist’s explanation was so recondite that only ___ with special training could follow it.
2.Recondite subjects often require ___ study and patience to understand.
3.Unlike popular science books, recondite texts use ___ language and ideas.
4.When a topic is recondite, it is usually ___ understood by the general public.
5.Scholars often write about recondite topics that are ___ to most readers.
6.The professor’s recondite lecture made the students feel ___ but curious.
7.To understand recondite material, you need to ___ yourself deeply in the subject.