Hermetic
adjective /hɜːrˈmɛtɪk/ — Perfectly sealed — or belonging to the hidden arts.
Definition
Airtight; impervious to external influence; of or relating to an occult tradition of alchemy and Neoplatonism attributed to Hermes Trismegistus.
Beyond the definition
Hermetic has two meanings that are secretly the same: perfectly sealed (hermetically sealed) and relating to the occult tradition of Hermes Trismegistus. The connection is magical: a hermetic seal was originally one applied by a magic spell so powerful that nothing could pass through. The word retains that quality of impenetrability.
Origin & history
From medieval Latin hermeticus, from Hermes Trismegistus ('Thrice-great Hermes') — the legendary sage of Greco-Egyptian alchemy. The connection to airtight sealing comes from alchemical vessels sealed by magic.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The manuscript had survived in hermetic isolation — untouched, unread, perfectly preserved.
She had built a hermetic world in her studio: no phone, no visitors, just the work.
The hermetic tradition of alchemy passed its knowledge through coded symbols and initiated teachers.
Synonyms
Antonyms
open, accessible, permeable, transparent
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Entering a forest threshold
An adult stands at the entrance to an ancient forest, carrying a glowing talisman that seems to illuminate the space.
The forest is a hermetic space—impervious to the influence of the outside world. The glowing talisman acts as a key to enter this protected, secret realm, where the natural order is separate from the ordinary experiences of human life.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration