Enigma comes from a Greek word that means "to speak in riddles." It applies to things, as well as to people, that puzzle one's mind. Egypt's ancient pyramids and quantum mechanics, for example, …

The Enigma machine is a cipher device developed and used in the early- to mid-20th century to protect commercial, diplomatic, and military communication. It was employed extensively by Nazi Germany …

ENIGMA definition: a puzzling or inexplicable occurrence or situation. See examples of enigma used in a sentence.

ENIGMA definition: 1. something that is mysterious and seems impossible to understand completely: 2. something that…. Learn more.

Traveling to English from Greek by means of the Latin word for "riddle," enigma refers to something or someone that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to figure out.

Definition of enigma noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

enigma noun Anything that arouses curiosity or perplexes because it is unexplained, inexplicable, or secret:

Dec 1, 2023 · Enigma refers to a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand. It comes from the Latin word for “riddle” and often implies a sense of intrigue or secrecy surrounding …

Dec 12, 2025 · Enigma was a cipher device used by Nazi Germany’s military command to encode strategic messages before and during World War II.

Jan 23, 2026 · Logic sorts the information in an enigma, logic determines that something is odd about this information, and logic draws inferences from an enigma's words; but logic cannot produce ideas.