secretive

adjective

se·​cre·​tive ˈsē-krə-tiv 

si-ˈkrē-

: disposed to secrecy : not open or outgoing in speech, activity, or purposes

secretively adverb

secretiveness noun

Synonyms of secretive

• silent
• quiet
• close
• reticent
• uncommunicative
• closemouthed
• dark

Choose the Right Synonym for secretive

silent, taciturn, reticent, reserved, secretive mean showing restraint in speaking.

silent implies a habit of saying no more than is needed.

the strong, silent type

taciturn implies a temperamental disinclination to speech and usually connotes unsociability.

taciturn villagers

reticent implies a reluctance to speak out or at length, especially about one's own affairs.

was reticent about his plans

reserved implies reticence and suggests the restraining influence of caution or formality in checking easy informal conversational exchange.

greetings were brief, formal, and reserved

secretive, too, implies reticence but usually carries a suggestion of deviousness and lack of frankness or of an often ostentatious will to conceal.

the secretive research and development division

Examples of secretive in a Sentence

He's very secretive about his work.

the intelligence agency remained secretive despite the media's demands for more openness in government

Recent Examples on the Web

However, evidence of their involvement based on their ownership, partnerships, or the often-secretive nature of their locations made clear that at least part of their purpose is weapons-related. —Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025

Such companies can help maximize wealth, minimize taxes, and firms may have legitimate reasons to be secretive about who owns them. —Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025

But inside the notoriously secretive budget negotiation process, lawmakers also have the ability to set aside sizable chunks of money to benefit their districts through an even more opaque earmark system. —Wire Report, Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2025

Speaking with Moviefone in 2012, Johnson remained similarly secretive about who this friend of a friend source was. —Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from secretiveness, partial translation of French secrétivité

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

secretive

adjective

se·​cre·​tive ˈsē-krət-iv 

si-ˈkrēt-

: having a tendency toward secrecy and concealment : not frank or open

secretively adverb

secretiveness noun