Word of the day · 25 July 2026
recondite
/ˈrɛkəndaɪt/
adjective
Little known; abstruse or dealing with obscure knowledge.
In a sentence
- She wrote a recondite paper on medieval water law.
- The joke relied on a recondite reference only three people caught.
- His hobby is recondite: collecting obsolete railway tickets.
In an image
Origin
From Latin reconditus (hidden, put away), from recondere (to store away).
History
Scholars borrowed recondite for subjects buried deep in specialist literature. It can praise rare learning or gently mock needless obscurity. Reviewers still use it for footnotes that only a few readers will chase. The hidden root reminds you the difficulty is often access, not empty show.
Nearby words
obscure · esoteric · abstruse
Learning that lives off the main road of common talk.