recondite
UK: ˈrek.ən.daɪt | US: ˈrek.ən.daɪt
adj. difficult to understand; obscure or abstruse
adj. little known; hidden from general knowledge
recondite = re<back, again> + cond<put, store> + ite<adjective suffix>
- re: From Latin re-, meaning "back" or "again."
- cond: From Latin condere, meaning "to put together, store, or hide."
- ite: A Latin-derived adjective-forming suffix.
Etymology Origin:
The word recondite originates from Latin reconditus, the past participle of recondere ("to put away, conceal"). It combines re- (suggesting secrecy or repetition) with condere (to store or hide). Over time, it evolved to describe knowledge that is "stored away" from common understanding—hence its modern meanings of "obscure" or "difficult to comprehend."
The professor’s lecture on quantum mechanics was so recondite that even graduate students struggled to follow.
Her poetry is filled with recondite references to ancient mythology.
The manuscript contained recondite symbols that puzzled historians for decades.
He had a recondite knowledge of medieval alchemy.
The article’s recondite jargon made it inaccessible to casual readers.