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mystery (mîs´te-rê) noun

plural mysteries

1. Something that is not fully understood or that baffles or eludes the understanding; an enigma: How he got in is a mystery. Even after all the testimonies, the murder remained a mystery.

2. A mysterious character or quality: a landscape with mystery and charm.

3. A work of fiction, drama, or film dealing with a puzzling crime.

4. Often mysteries. The skills, lore, or practices that are peculiar to a particular activity or group and are regarded as the special province of initiates: the mysteries of Freemasonry; the mysteries of cooking game.

5. Theology. A religious truth that is incomprehensible to the reason and knowable only through divine revelation.

6. a. An incident from the life of Jesus, especially the Incarnation, Passion, Crucifixion, or Resurrection, of particular importance for redemption. b. Roman Catholic Church. One of the 15 incidents from the lives of Jesus or the Blessed Virgin Mary, such as the Annunciation or the Ascension, serving as the subject of meditation during recitation of the rosary.

7. a. One of the Christian sacraments, especially the Eucharist. b. mysteries. The consecrated elements of the Eucharist.

8. a. A religious cult practicing secret rites to which only initiates are admitted. b. A secret rite of such a cult.

[Middle English misterie, from Latin mystêrium, from Greek mustêrion, secret rite, from mustês, an initiate, from muein, to close the eyes, initiate.]

mysticism (mîs´tî-sîz´em) noun

1. a. Immediate consciousness of the transcendent or ultimate reality or God. b. The experience of such communion as described by mystics.

2. A belief in the existence of realities beyond perceptual or intellectual apprehension that are central to being and directly accessible by subjective experience.

3. Vague, groundless speculation.

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