[es.o.ter.ic] adj [LL esotericus, fr. Gk esoterikos, fr. esotero, compar. of eiso, eso within, fr. eis into; akin to Gk en in--more at in] (ca. 1660) 1 a: designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone "a body of ~ legal doctrine --B. N. Cardozo" b: of or relating to knowledge that is restricted to a small group
2. a: limited to a small circle "~ pursuits" b: private, confidential "an ~ purpose" -- es.o.ter.i.cal.ly adv