hermetic
/hɜːˈmɛt.ɪk/ IELTSAcademic
adjective
Completely sealed so that air, water, or other substances cannot enter or leave. It can also describe a system that is closed and hard for outsiders to understand.
- The jar has a hermetic seal.
- The group felt hermetic and private.
Adinary Nuance
Hermetic is stronger than closed or sealed. It often suggests complete isolation, especially in technical, scientific, or intellectual contexts. Compared with airtight, it can also mean hard to understand or closed to outsiders.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- kín khí
- Spanish
- hermético
- Chinese
- 密封的
- Japanese
- 気密の
- Korean
- 기밀의
Etymology
Hermetic comes from Hermes Trismegistus, a figure linked to secret ancient knowledge. In English, it later came to mean tightly sealed or closed off.
Common phrases
hermetic sealhermetic containerhermetic worldhermetic system
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is hermetic the same as airtight?
- Often, yes. But hermetic can also suggest something is completely closed off in a broader sense.
- Is hermetic used in science writing?
- Yes. It is common for sealed containers, systems, and lab equipment.
- Can hermetic describe a person or group?
- Yes. It can describe people or groups that are private and hard to understand.
- Is hermetic a common everyday word?
- Not very common. It is more common in formal, academic, and technical writing.