noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
rhymes with -eɪnə
rhymes with -ɑːnə
/ɑɹˈkeɪnə/
/ɑɹˈkɑːnə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AA0 R K AE1 N AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Specialized knowledge that is mysterious to the uninitiated.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
plural of arcanum
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Latin arcānus (“hidden, secret”), from arcēre (“to withhold”), arca (“a chest”).
Across languages
Translations
3 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Finnish:
arkana
— knowledge that is mysterious to the uninitiated
Polish:
arkana
— knowledge that is mysterious to the uninitiated
Polish:
arkany
— knowledge that is mysterious to the uninitiated