enigmatic

(ĕn'ĭg-măt'ĭk) or en·ig·mat·i·cal (-ĭ-kəl)
adj.
Of or resembling an enigma; puzzling: a professor's enigmatic grading system. See synonyms at ambiguous.

[Greek ainigmatikos, from ainigma, ainigmat-, riddle. See enigma.]

enigmatically en'ig·mat'i·cal·ly adv.

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Now we know who he is, but what's he all about? President Bush's choice as replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is:

"John G. Roberts, a federal appeals court judge with a distinguished résumé and a conservative but enigmatic record..."

Link: In Pursuit of Conservative Stamp, President Nominates Roberts

Posted July 21, 2005.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

adjective

Difficult to explain or understand: arcane, cabalistic, cryptic, mysterious, mystic, mystical, mystifying, occult, puzzling. See explain/baffle, knowledge/ignorance.

For a list of words related to enigmatic, see:

• Introverted, Reserved, Isolated, or Mysterious

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See words rhyming with "enigmatical."