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Esoteric vs Opaque - What's the difference?

esoteric | opaque |

As adjectives the difference between esoteric and opaque

is that 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 while opaque is neither reflecting nor emitting light.

As a noun opaque is

(obsolete|poetic) an area of darkness; a place or region with no light.

As a verb opaque is

to make, render (more) opaque.

esoteric

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • 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.
  • ''The writing in this manual is very esoteric ; I need a degree in engineering just to understand it!
  • Having to do with concepts that are highly theoretical and without obvious practical application; often with mystical or religious connotations.
  • Confidential; private.
  • Synonyms

    * (understood only by a chosen few or an enlightened inner circle) arcane, recondite * cerebral * secretive

    Antonyms

    * exoteric

    See also

    * exoterism * metaphysical * occult * paranormal * supernatural * theoretical

    Anagrams

    *

    opaque

    English

    (wikipedia opaque)

    Alternative forms

    * opake

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Neither reflecting nor emitting light.
  • Allowing little light to pass through, not translucent or transparent.
  • (figuratively) Unclear, unintelligible, hard to get or explain the meaning of
  • (figuratively) Obtuse, stupid.
  • (computing) Describes a type for which higher-level callers have no knowledge of data values or their representations; all operations are carried out by the type's defined abstract operators.
  • Antonyms

    * (physically) see-through, translucent, transparent * (figuratively) clear, obvious, bright, brilliant

    Usage notes

    * The comparative opaquer and superlative opaquest, though formed following valid rules for English, are much less common than more opaque' and ' most opaque and seem to occur more frequently in poetry.

    Derived terms

    * opaquely * opaqueness * radiopaque

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete, poetic) An area of darkness; a place or region with no light.
  • * 1745 , Edward Young, Night-Thoughts , I:
  • Through this opaque of Nature and of Soul, / This double night, transmit one pitying ray, / To lighten, and to cheer.
  • Something which is opaque rather than translucent.
  • Verb

  • To make, render (more) opaque.
  • Synonyms

    * blur * cloud

    See also

    * translucent

    References

    * * ----