confidential

adjective

con·​fi·​den·​tial ˌkän-fə-ˈden(t)-shəl How to pronounce confidential (audio)
1
a
: intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person, group, or class : private, secret
confidential information
b
: containing information whose unauthorized disclosure could be prejudicial to the national interest compare secret, top secret
2
: marked by intimacy or willingness to confide
a confidential tone
3
: entrusted with confidences (see confidence sense 4)
a confidential clerk
confidentially adverb

Examples of confidential in a Sentence

These documents are completely confidential. “I have something to tell you,” John said in a confidential tone. Her voice was quiet and confidential. She worked as a confidential secretary to the mayor for many years.
Recent Examples on the Web Claims at the heart of the GOP impeachment investigation Smirnov, who is approximately 43, had served as a confidential FBI source for more than a decade before being arrested on charges of lying to the FBI. Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 Reddit’s Valuation Reddit’s more than two-year slog to listing reflects the ups and downs of the market, beginning with its initial confidential filing in 2021, when IPOs on US exchanges set an an all-time record of $339 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Amy Or, Fortune, 10 Mar. 2024 In general, employees that have access to confidential information are not supposed to use that information for personal gain, a PwC spokeswoman said. Hallie Lieberman, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at (414) 933-2722. Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 Matthews also denied Crumbley's request to let jurors see certain confidential medical information about his son. Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 1 Mar. 2024 Officials had removed her from her job pending a confidential investigation. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Following company procedures dictating dispute resolution processes, Weinstein on Feb. 8 sent a confidential letter to Besser and Levine to discuss the issues plaguing the company, the suit says. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Feb. 2024 Threat actors can also use malicious prompts to extract confidential, sensitive and private information from AI systems, and therefore, appropriate guardrails need to be deployed. Perry Carpenter, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'confidential.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin confīdentia, taken as base of confidence entry 1 + -al entry 1 (perhaps after French confidentiel)

First Known Use

1740, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of confidential was in 1740

Dictionary Entries Near confidential

Cite this Entry

“Confidential.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confidential. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

confidential

adjective
con·​fi·​den·​tial ˌkän-fə-ˈden-chəl How to pronounce confidential (audio)
1
: secret entry 1 sense 1a, private
confidential information
2
: indicating or suggesting closeness : intimate
a confidential tone of voice
3
: trusted with secret matters
a confidential secretary
confidentially adverb

Legal Definition

confidential

adjective
con·​fi·​den·​tial ˌkän-fi-ˈden-chəl How to pronounce confidential (audio)
1
: known or conveyed only to a limited number of people
a confidential disclosure
2
: marked by or indicative of intimacy, mutual trust, or willingness to confide especially between parties one of whom is in a position of superiority
the confidential relationship of doctor and patient
3
: containing information whose unauthorized disclosure could be prejudicial to the national interest
confidentiality noun
confidentially adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on confidential

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!