secrecy

noun

se·​cre·​cy ˈsē-krə-sē 

plural secrecies

1

: the condition of being hidden or concealed

2

: the habit or practice of keeping secrets or maintaining privacy or concealment

Synonyms of secrecy

• secretiveness

Examples of secrecy in a Sentence

this administration's steadfast adherence to secrecy is beginning to cost it the trust of the voters

Recent Examples on the Web

For anyone who has followed the not-so-bedroom-anymore rapper’s rise, this pastiche of showmanship and secrecy will come as no surprise—and the music itself synthesizes a similar mix across textures pulled from bloghouse, indie rock, cloud rap, and more. —Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 22 May 2026

Operational secrecy was preserved with steely discipline, and Israel was utterly deceived and taken by surprise. —David Frum, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026

This secrecy keeps policyholders from knowing how solid their insurers are. —Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 20 May 2026

That premise — built on longing, secrecy, and years of unresolved tension — turns out to be extraordinarily good at generating exactly the kind of emotional investment that sustains fandoms between content drops. —Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier secretie, from Middle English secretee, from secret secret

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing secrecy

• anti-secrecy
• swear (someone) to secrecy
• swear to secrecy

Kids Definition

secrecy

noun

se·​cre·​cy ˈsē-krə-sē 

plural secrecies

1

: the habit of keeping secrets : secretiveness

2

: the quality or state of being hidden or concealed