Exoteric derives from Latin exotericus, which is itself from Greek exōterikos, meaning "external," and ultimately from exō, meaning "outside." Exō has a number of offspring in English, including exotic, exonerate, exorbitant, and the combining form exo- or ex- (as in exoskeleton and exobiology). The antonym of exoteric is esoteric, meaning "designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone"; it descends from the Greek word for "within," esō.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebThe High Sierra is exoteric—attentive to the general reader, instructive, open in character. Verlyn Klinkenborg, The Atlantic, 21 July 2022
Word History
Etymology
Latin & Greek; Latin exotericus, from Greek exōterikos, literally, external, from exōterō more outside, comparative of exō outside — more at exo-