obskantly

Obskantly is a neologism used to describe a manner of communication or presentation that is both obscure and conspicuously elaborate. In practice, something described as obskantly may rely on dense allusions, idiosyncratic jargon, or deliberately opaque structure, while also displaying ostentatious style or showiness. The term is often applied in discussions of contemporary art, experimental writing, or political rhetoric where complexity and affectation are used together to obscure straightforward meaning.

Origins and usage: Obskantly appears to be a portmanteau formed from elements of "obscure" and a qualitative suffix common in coinages. There is no formal etymology or accepted spelling authority, and it lacks recognition in major dictionaries. It has circulated primarily in online forums, independent publications, and critical blogs since the early 2020s, with varying interpretations of its precise connotation—ranging from neutral description to mild criticism.

Usage notes and examples: Critics may say the prose is obskantly dense, the film obskantly staged, or the manifesto obskantly rhetorical. In these contexts, obskantly signals not just difficulty, but a performative insistence on mystery or extravagance that may or may not serve the work's aims.

See also: obscurity; obfuscation; postmodernism.