recondite

/ˈrɛkənˌdaɪt/

Reviewed on

Type

Adjective

  • Formal

Meaning

  1. (of a subject or knowledge) little known and understood only by a few specialists.

    • The professor specialized in recondite subjects that only a few scholars studied.

    • He loved to debate recondite points of tax law with his colleagues.

How it's used

Chiefly found in academic or literary writing to describe obscure subjects, texts, or references.

Collocations

  • recondite subject
  • recondite knowledge
  • recondite details
  • recondite points of law

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • accessible
  • familiar
  • well-known