code of silence

noun phrase

: a usually unwritten rule or guideline that compels members of a group or organization to keep the secrets of that group or organization

Incarcerated individuals and those who have been released share horrifying accounts of life behind prison walls, emphasizing a code of silence among correctional officers.

—Southern Poverty Law Center

… a code of silence among elected officials, who have been convinced that it's illegal to talk about what was discussed in closed sessions—which almost never is true.

—Post & Courier (Charleston, South Carolina)

The former West Coast player is bravely challenging the infamous "code of silence" in the AFL [=Australian Football League] by sharing the harm caused to him by his club's culture and by the "countless" homophobic comments he heard throughout his career.

—Erik Denison

Witness protection was seen as a necessary tool to break the code of silence that existed within these criminal organizations.

—Phil Connelly

Examples of code of silence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Authorities said the code of silence that already existed in the fraternity extended to the drug trade, ensuring that the pledges would not reveal the operation to law enforcement or school administrators. — Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above