conceal

verb

con·​ceal kən-ˈsēl 

concealed; concealing; conceals

transitive verb

1

: to prevent disclosure or recognition of

conceal the truth

She could barely conceal her anger.

2

: to place out of sight

concealed himself behind the door

The defendant is accused of attempting to conceal evidence.

concealable

kən-ˈsē-lə-bəl 

adjective

concealingly

kən-ˈsē-liŋ-lē 

adverb

concealment

kən-ˈsēl-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• bury
• cache
• ensconce
• hide
• secrete

Choose the Right Synonym for conceal

hide, conceal, screen, secrete, bury mean to withhold or withdraw from sight.

hide may or may not suggest intent.

hide in the closet

a house hidden in the woods

conceal usually does imply intent and often specifically implies a refusal to divulge.

concealed the weapon

screen implies an interposing of something that prevents discovery.

a house screened by trees

secrete suggests a depositing in a place unknown to others.

secreted the amulet inside his shirt

bury implies covering up so as to hide completely.

buried the treasure

Examples of conceal in a Sentence

The sunglasses conceal her eyes.

The controls are concealed behind a panel.

The defendant is accused of attempting to conceal evidence.

The editorial accused the government of concealing the truth.

She could barely conceal her anger.

Recent Examples on the Web

The city’s crumbling high-rises, tight alleyways and underground tunnels potentially concealing Hamas rocket factories would take a painstaking process to clear. —Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023

According to court filings and the Justice Department, Banque Pictet & Cie, Co helped a group of U.S. taxpayers hide $5.6 billion in order to conceal income, which saved them $50.6 million in taxes over those years. —Marley Jay, NBC News, 4 Dec. 2023

Williams, whose Robbery-Homicide Division detectives are handling the investigation, said the suspect appeared to have taken measures to conceal his identity, including covering his face at the time of the shooting. —Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2023

Barton spotted a hole in one of the walls, concealed by pink satin curtains. —Elaine Blair, The New York Review of Books, 30 Nov. 2023

At the end of the day, simply close the closet doors to conceal your workstation and keep your home looking clutter-free. —Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Nov. 2023

Further inspection of the vehicle revealed that 62 bundles of blue pills were concealed inside its door panels and seats, the agency said. —Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 22 Nov. 2023

The next-man-up mind-set is pervasive in a violent sport that requires its athletes to be concealed in helmets, and in a league that enforces a strict uniform policy and delivers five-figure fines for excessive celebrations. —Emmanuel Morgan, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023

All plutonium work has been paused for the day to conceal the classified details of pit production. —Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Middle English concelen, borrowed from Anglo-French conceler, borrowed from Latin concēlāre, from con- con- + cēlāre "to hide, keep secret," probably derivative of an unattested lengthened-grade noun formed from the Indo-European verb base *ḱel- "cover, conceal," whence Latin occulere "to hide from view, keep secret" (from *ob-cel-), Old Irish ceilid "(s/he) hides," Welsh celaf "(I) hide," Germanic *hel-a- "hide" (whence Old English, Old Saxon & Old High German helan "to hide, keep secret")

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

conceal

verb

con·​ceal kən-ˈsē(ə)l 

1

: to keep secret

conceal a fact

2

: to hide from sight

carry a concealed weapon

concealable

-ˈsē-lə-bəl 

adjective

concealer noun

Legal Definition

conceal

transitive verb

con·​ceal

1

: to prevent disclosure of or fail to disclose (as a provision in a contract) especially in violation of a duty to disclose

2

a

: to place out of sight

Note: A weapon need only be placed out of ordinary observation in order to be considered a concealed weapon.

b

: to prevent or hinder recognition, discovery, or recovery of

concealing stolen property

concealment noun