mys·tery
ˈmi-st(ə-)rē
plural mysteries
1
a
: something not understood or beyond understanding : enigma
The mystery of his disappearance has never been solved.
b
: a piece of fiction dealing usually with the solution of a mysterious crime
Reading mysteries was her favorite pastime.
c
: the secret or specialized practices or ritual peculiar to an occupation or a body of people
the mysteries of the tailor's craft
d
obsolete
: a private secret
2
: profound, inexplicable, or secretive quality or character
the mystery of her smile
the mysteries and beauties of nature
3
a
: a religious truth that one can know only by revelation and cannot fully understand
the mystery of the Trinity
b(1)
: any of the 20 events (such as the Nativity, the Crucifixion, or the Assumption) serving as a subject for meditation during the saying of the rosary
(2)
c(1)
: a secret religious rite believed (as in Eleusinian and Mithraic cults) to impart enduring bliss to the initiate
(2)
: a cult devoted to such rites
4
plural mysteries
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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