Standard Lemma guide

occult

adj · noun · verb · 14 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.

  • UK: /ˈɒk.ʌlt/
  • UK: /əˈkʌlt/
  • US: /əˈkʌlt/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ʌlt
  • CMU ARPABET: AH0 K AH1 L T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • occult blood loss; occult cancer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

not visible, but chemically detectable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • occult blood in the urine

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Related to the occult; pertaining to mysticism, magic, or astrology.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Esoteric.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Supernatural affairs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually, with-definite-article

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To cover or hide from view.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences

Examples

  • The Earth occults the Moon during a lunar eclipse.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To dissimulate, conceal, or obfuscate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: rare, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • mysterious symbols
  • the mystical style of Blake
  • occult lore
  • the secret learning of the ancients

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mysterious, mystic, mystical, secret, orphic

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

hidden and difficult to see

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an occult fracture
  • occult blood in the stool

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

supernatural practices and techniques

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he is a student of the occult

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: occult arts

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: practice, pattern

11

noun

Meaning 11

supernatural forces and events and beings collectively

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She doesn't believe in the supernatural

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: supernatural

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: causal agent, cause, causal agency

12

verb

Meaning 12

hide from view

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The lids were occulting her eyes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: conceal, hold back, hold in

13

verb

Meaning 13

become concealed or hidden from view or have its light extinguished

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The beam of light occults every so often

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change

14

verb

Meaning 14

cause an eclipse of (a celestial body) by intervention

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The Sun eclipses the moon today
  • Planets and stars often are occulted by other celestial bodies

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: eclipse

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: overshadow

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h1ep-der. Proto-Indo-European *h1épsder. Proto-Indo-European *h1óp(i) Proto-Italic *op Latin ob Latin ob- Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- Proto-Indo-European *ḱéletider. Latin *celo Latin occulō Latin occultusbor. English occult Borrowed from Latin occultus (“hidden, secret”).

Across languages

Translations

121 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: ծածուկ (cacuk) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Armenian: գաղտնի (gaġtni) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Armenian: թաքուն (tʻakʻun) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Armenian: խորհրդավոր (xorhrdavor) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Bulgarian: таен (taen) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Bulgarian: поверителен (poveritelen) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Catalan: ocult — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Catalan: amagat — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Czech: okultní — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Czech: skrytý — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Dutch: verborgen — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Dutch: latent — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Finnish: piilevä — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Finnish: salainen — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • German: okkult — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Italian: latente — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Italian: celato — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Italian: recondito — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Italian: nascosto — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Norwegian: okkult — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Norwegian: skjult — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Persian: نهان (nahân) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Persian: پنهان (penhân) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Persian: مخفی (maxfi) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Portuguese: oculto — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Portuguese: ocultado — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Russian: скры́тый (skrýtyj) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Russian: та́йный (tájnyj) — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Turkish: gizli — secret; hidden from general knowledge; undetected
  • Bulgarian: тайнствен (tajnstven) — related to the occult
  • Bulgarian: окултен (okulten) — related to the occult
  • Catalan: ocult — related to the occult
  • Chinese Mandarin: 神秘的 (shénmì de) — related to the occult
  • Czech: okultní — related to the occult
  • Danish: okkult — related to the occult
  • Dutch: occult — related to the occult
  • Finnish: yliluonnollinen — related to the occult
  • Finnish: salattu — related to the occult
  • French: occulte — related to the occult
  • German: okkult — related to the occult
  • Hungarian: okkult — related to the occult
  • Ido: okulta — related to the occult
  • Italian: occulto — related to the occult
  • Kazakh: оккульттық (okkulttyq) — related to the occult
  • Norwegian: okkult — related to the occult
  • Persian: رازآمیز (râz-âmiz) — related to the occult
  • Portuguese: oculto — related to the occult
  • Russian: окку́льтный (okkúlʹtnyj) — related to the occult
  • Ukrainian: оку́льтний (okúlʹtnyj) — related to the occult
  • Welsh: cyfriniol — related to the occult
  • Bulgarian: окултен (okulten) — esoteric
  • Catalan: ocult — esoteric
  • Czech: esoterický — esoteric
  • Danish: esoterisk — esoteric
  • Danish: okkult — esoteric
  • Finnish: esoteerinen — esoteric
  • Italian: esoterico — esoteric
  • Afrikaans: okkultisme — supernatural affairs
  • Albanian: okultizmi — supernatural affairs
  • Arabic: تَنْجِيمِيَّة (tanjīmiyya) — supernatural affairs
  • Bulgarian: окулти́зъм (okultízǎm) — supernatural affairs
  • Catalan: ocultisme — supernatural affairs
  • Catalan: ocult — supernatural affairs
  • Chinese Mandarin: 神秘學 /神秘学 (shénmìxué) — supernatural affairs
  • Danish: okkultisme — supernatural affairs
  • Dutch: occulte — supernatural affairs
  • Dutch: occultisme — supernatural affairs
  • Esperanto: okultismo — supernatural affairs
  • Estonian: okultism — supernatural affairs
  • Finnish: yliluonnollinen — supernatural affairs
  • French: occulte — supernatural affairs
  • French: occultisme — supernatural affairs
  • Galician: ocultismo — supernatural affairs
  • German: Okkult — supernatural affairs
  • German: Okkultismus — supernatural affairs
  • Hebrew: אוקולטיזם — supernatural affairs
  • Hindi: तंत्र-मंत्र (tantra-mantra) — supernatural affairs
  • Hungarian: okkult — supernatural affairs
  • Indonesian: okultisme — supernatural affairs
  • Italian: occulto — supernatural affairs
  • Italian: occultismo — supernatural affairs
  • Japanese: オカルト (okaruto) — supernatural affairs
  • Japanese: 超自然現象 (chōshizen genshō) — supernatural affairs
  • Kazakh: оккультизм (okkultizm) — supernatural affairs
  • Korean: 오컬트 (okeolteu) — supernatural affairs
  • Lithuanian: okultizmas — supernatural affairs
  • Macedonian: окулти́зам (okultízam) — supernatural affairs
  • Persian: علوم خفیه (olum-e xafiye) — supernatural affairs
  • Persian: علوم غریبه (olum-e ġaribe) — supernatural affairs
  • Polish: okultyzm — supernatural affairs
  • Portuguese: oculto — supernatural affairs
  • Portuguese: ocultismo — supernatural affairs
  • Russian: оккульти́зм (okkulʹtízm) — supernatural affairs
  • Serbo-Croatian: окултизам — supernatural affairs
  • Serbo-Croatian: okultizam — supernatural affairs
  • Sinhalese: ගුප්තශාස්ත්ර (guptaśāstra) — supernatural affairs
  • Slovak: okultizmus — supernatural affairs
  • Spanish: oculto — supernatural affairs
  • Spanish: ocultismo — supernatural affairs
  • Swedish: ockult — supernatural affairs
  • Swedish: ockultism — supernatural affairs
  • Thai: สิ่งลึกลับ (sìng léuk láp) — supernatural affairs
  • Turkish: okültizm — supernatural affairs
  • Welsh: yr ocwlt — supernatural affairs
  • Catalan: ocultar — to cover
  • Catalan: amagar — to cover
  • Dutch: verduisteren — to cover
  • Dutch: bedekken — to cover
  • Finnish: pimentää — to cover
  • French: occulter — to cover
  • Galician: ocultar — to cover
  • Ido: okultacar — to cover
  • Italian: occultare — to cover
  • Japanese: 掩蔽する (enpei suru) — to cover
  • Macedonian: скрива (skriva) — to cover
  • Macedonian: прикрива (prikriva) — to cover
  • Norwegian: okkultere — to cover
  • Portuguese: ocultar — to cover
  • Russian: скрыва́ть (skryvátʹ) — to cover
  • Russian: заслоня́ть (zaslonjátʹ) — to cover
  • Ottoman Turkish: اورتمك (örtmek) — to cover
Real reading context

occult in complete knowledge articles