n.
Pronunciation: ' mis-t( ə -)r ē
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ter · ies
Etymology: Middle English mysterie, from Latin mysterium, from Greek myst ē rion, from myst ē s initiate
Date: 14th century
1 a : a religious truth that one can know only by revelation and cannot fully understand b (1) : any of the 15 events (as the Nativity, the Crucifixion, or the Assumption) serving as a subject for meditation during the saying of the rosary (2) capitalized : a Christian sacrament specifically : EUCHARIST c (1) : a secret religious rite believed (as in Eleusinian and Mithraic cults) to impart enduring bliss to the initiate (2) : a cult devoted to such rites
2 a : something not understood or beyond understanding : ENIGMA b obsolete : a private secret c : the secret or specialized practices or ritual peculiar to an occupation or a body of people <the mysteries of the tailor's craft> d : a piece of fiction dealing usually with the solution of a mysterious crime
3 : profound, inexplicable, or secretive quality or character <the mystery of her smile>
synonyms MYSTERY , PROBLEM , ENIGMA , RIDDLE , PUZZLE mean something which baffles or perplexes. MYSTERY applies to what cannot be fully understood by reason or less strictly to whatever resists or defies explanation <the mystery of the stone monoliths>. PROBLEM applies to a question or difficulty calling for a solution or causing concern < problems created by high technology>. ENIGMA applies to utterance or behavior that is very difficult to interpret <his suicide remains an enigma >. RIDDLE suggests an enigma or problem involving paradox or apparent contradiction <the riddle of the reclusive pop star>. PUZZLE applies to an enigma or problem that challenges ingenuity for its solution <the thief's motives were a puzzle for the police>.