Obscurant

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /É’bˈskjʊəɹənt/
• US IPA: /É‘bˈskjəɹənt/

Origin

Entering English circa 1793–1799

“obscurant” listed by Dictionary.com Unabridged (v1·1)

From German Obskurant

“obscurant, n. and adj.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, second edition
draft revision (March 2004)

and French obscurant

, from classical Latin obscūrant-

, stem of obscūrāns

“obscurant” listed in Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1996, 1998)

, present participle of obscūrāre ("to obscure")

, from obscūrus ("dark")

.

Full definition of obscurant

Adjective

1. Acting or tending to confound, obfuscate, or obscure.
2. Typical of or pertaining to obscurants; obscurantic; obscurantistic.

Noun

1. One who acts to confound or obfuscate; an obscurantist.
2. A person who seeks to prevent or hinder enquiry and the advancement of knowledge or wisdom; an agent of endarkenment.
3. An opposer of lucidity and transparency in the political and intellectual spheres.

Related terms