recondite

Summary

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Overview

Episode Theme:
Today’s episode of Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day explores the word recondite, delving into its meaning, usage, and rich etymological history. Host Peter Sokolowski unpacks this formal adjective, providing listeners with context, sample usage, and fascinating linguistic connections.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Definition & Pronunciation

• Word: recondite (also pronounced recondite)
• Part of Speech: Adjective
• Meaning: Used to describe something that is difficult to understand or not widely known.
• Spelling: R-E-C-O-N-D-I-T-E
  (00:35)

2. Usage in Context

• Sample Sentence (From Forbes):
  “Each medical school has variations on its prerequisites, but all require a strong foundation in the sciences. This includes courses such as the notoriously recondite Organic Chemistry, as well as biology, general chemistry, and physics.”
  (00:56)

• The example demonstrates that recondite is ideal for describing subjects or topics that are especially challenging or obscure, such as advanced scientific concepts.

3. Etymology & Related Words

• Recondite dates back to the early 1600s, derived from Latin:
  • Latin Origin: reconditus (past participle of recondere, meaning “to conceal”)
    (01:19)
  • Concealed is an obscure, older meaning of recondite.
• Related Obsolete Words:
  • Condite: An archaic verb meaning both “to pickle or preserve” and “to embalm.”
  • Incondite or incondit: Adding the prefix “in-” leads to this word meaning “badly put together,” such as in “incondit prose.”
• All three words share the Latin root condere, which means “to put or bring together” or “to put up or store.”
  (01:47–02:21)

4. Vocabulary Building

• Sokolowski notes that recondite is an “underused but useful” word, describing it as “always a boon to one’s vocabulary”—encouraging listeners to adopt it into their language toolkit.
  (01:13)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Peter Sokolowski:

  “Recondite is one of those underused but useful words that’s always a boon to one’s vocabulary. Though it describes something difficult to understand, there’s nothing recondite about the word's history.” (01:13)

• On the Latin Root:

  “All three words have the Latin word condere as their root. That verb is translated variously as to put or bring together, and to put up or store, as in perhaps some pickles or preserves.” (02:13)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:35 — Introduction of today’s word, recondite: definition, pronunciation, spelling
• 00:56 — Sample sentence from Forbes featuring “recondite”
• 01:19–01:47 — Etymology: roots in Latin and related words (condite, incondite)
• 01:13 — Comment on the word’s role in vocabulary
• 02:13–02:21 — Further explanation of the Latin root condere and its meanings

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Final Thoughts

This concise episode offers a deep yet accessible dive into recondite, making clear both its definition and etymological journey. Sokolowski’s engaging delivery and memorable explanations prime listeners to confidently use recondite in their own communications.

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Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

It's Merriam Webster's Word of the Day for April 12th.

[A]

Not every sale happens at the register. Before AT&T business Wireless checking out customers on our mobile POS systems took too long, basically a staring contest where everyone loses. It's crazy what people will say during an awkward silence. It's now transactions are done before the silence takes hold. That means I can focus on the task at hand and make an extra sale or two. Sometimes I do miss the bonding time. Sometimes.

[B]

AT&T business wireless connecting changes everything. Today's word is recondite, also pronounced recondite and spelled R E C O N D I T e. Recondite is an adjective. It's a formal word used to describe something that is difficult to understand or that is not known by many people. Here's the word used in a sentence from Forbes each medical school has variations on its prerequisites, but all require a strong foundation in the sciences. This includes courses such as the notoriously recondite Organic Chemistry, as well as biology, general chemistry and physics. Recondite is one of those underused but useful words that's always a boon to one's vocabulary. Though it describes something difficult to understand, there's nothing recondite about the word's history. It dates to the early 1600s, when it was coined from the Latin word reconditus, the past participle of recondere, meaning to conceal. Concealed is also a meaning of recondite, albeit an obscure one today. Remove the prefix re of recondite and you get something even more obscure, condite, an obsolete verb meaning both to pickle or preserve and to embalm. Add the prefix in to that quirky charmer and we get incondit or incondite, which means badly put together, as in incondit prose. All three words have the Latin word condere as their root. That verb is translated variously as to put or bring together, and to put up or store, as in perhaps some pickles or preserves. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.

[A]

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