# exoteric

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˌɛksə(ʊ)ˈtɛɹɪk/

## Definitions
1. Of a doctrine, information, etc.: suitable to be imparted to the public without secrecy or other reservations.
2. Of a doctrine, information, etc.: suitable to be imparted to the public without secrecy or other reservations.
3. Capable of being fully or readily comprehended by the public; accessible; also, having an obvious application.
4. External.
5. Having wide currency; popular, prevalent.

## Etymology
The adjective is a learned borrowing from Late Latin exōtericus + English -ic (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘of or pertaining to’). Exōtericus is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐξωτερῐκός (exōterĭkós, “exterior, external, outside”, adjective), from ἐξωτέρω (exōtérō, “more exterior”) (the comparative form of ἔξω (éxō, “external, outer”) (ultimately from ἐκ (ek, “beyond; outside”, preposition), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs (“out”)) + -τέρω (-térō) (an inflected form of -τερος (-teros, suffix forming comparative forms)) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix forming adjectives).
The noun is derived from the adjective.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/exoteric