1something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain:the mysteries of outer spacewhat happened after he left home that day remains a mystery
[mass noun] secrecy or obscurity:much of her past is shrouded in mystery
a person or thing whose identity or nature is puzzling or unknown:‘He’s a bit of a mystery,’ said Nina [as modifier]:a mystery guest
2a novel, play, or film dealing with a puzzling crime, especially a murder:the 1920s murder mystery, The Ghost Train
3 (mysteries) the secret rites of Greek and Roman pagan religion, or of any ancient or tribal religion, to which only initiates are admitted.
the practices, skills, or lore peculiar to a particular trade or activity and regarded as baffling to those without specialized knowledge:the mysteries of analytical psychology
archaic the Christian Eucharist.
4chiefly Christian Theology a religious belief based on divine revelation, especially one regarded as beyond human understanding:the mystery of Christ
an incident in the life of Jesus or of a saint as a focus of devotion in the Roman Catholic Church, especially each of those commemorated during recitation of successive decades of the rosary:the first Sorrowful Mystery, the Agony in the Garden
