Abstruse
/æbˈstruːs/noun
Difficult to understand; obscure.
Did you know?The word 'abstruse' is rooted in Latin, where it was used to describe knowledge that was deliberately kept secret or hidden from the uninitiated.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
Latin
abstrusus
“Hidden, concealed.”
Middle English
Middle English
abstruse
“Difficult to comprehend.”
15th Century
Late Middle English
abstrus
“Obscure, hard to understand.”
Modern English
English
abstruse
“Retaining the meaning of being obscure or difficult to grasp.”