Cryptic vs Esoteric - What's the difference?
cryptic | esoteric | Synonyms |
Having hidden meaning.
Mystified or of an obscure nature.
* Glanvill
Involving use of code or cipher/cypher.
(zoology) Well camouflaged; having good camouflage.
(informal) A cryptic crossword.
* 1996 , Mary McCarthy, Remember Me (page 85)
* 2009 , Bill Taylor, Building a crossword'' (in ''Toronto Star , 1 February 2009)
intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest, or an enlightened inner circle.
Having to do with concepts that are highly theoretical and without obvious practical application; often with mystical or religious connotations.
Confidential; private.
As adjectives the difference between cryptic and esoteric
is that cryptic is having hidden meaning while esoteric is intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest, or an enlightened inner circle.As a noun cryptic
is a cryptic crossword.cryptic
English
(wikipedia cryptic)Alternative forms
* cryptick (obsolete)Adjective
(en adjective)- Her [nature's] more cryptic ways of working.
- Lonomia caterpillars are extremely cryptic .
Noun
(en noun)- He settled down to the cryptic in the Independent . He loved his crossword. It kept him mentally active, just as gossip did his wife.
- This writer has been solving cryptics for 40 years and can usually crack Araucaria, though it might take a couple of days.
Derived terms
* cryptically * cryptogramesoteric
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- ''The writing in this manual is very esoteric ; I need a degree in engineering just to understand it!