conceal

play

verb con·ceal \kən-ˈsēl\

Definition of conceal

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

play \kən-ˈsē-lə-bəl\ adjective

concealingly

play \kən-ˈsē-liŋ-lē\ adverb

concealment

play \kən-ˈsēl-mənt\ noun

See conceal defined for English-language learners

See conceal defined for kids

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 of conceal from the Web

For decades, the National Rifle Association pushed for state laws allowing people to carry concealed guns with permits.

— david a. lieb, The Seattle Times, "State laws will expand concealed guns to public facilities", 1 July 2017
And bubbles could work as camouflage, concealing whales from predators in a wall of opaque white foam.

— erica cirino, The Atlantic, "Are Bubbles a Whale's Way of Giving the Finger?", 28 June 2017
The House version of the American Health Care Act saw a favorability rating of just 16%, and the Senate GOP has been actively concealing the details of its frighteningly similar bill in order to avoid such dissent.

— lauren duca, Teen Vogue, "You Can't Debate Health Care If You're Dead", 23 June 2017
And human-rights activists in Serbia have expressed concern that the appointment of Brnabić is an empty gesture meant to conceal the widespread homophobia that is still rampant in the Balkans.

— alex hawgood, The Cut, "These World Leaders Are The New Gay Icons", 23 June 2017
But no amount of grifter charm can conceal his alarming disregard for facts and truth.

— graydon carter, The Hive, "Donald Trump: A Pillar of Ignorance and Certitude", 19 June 2017
The investors argued that RBS deliberately concealed its financial weaknesses over its 12 billion-pound emergency rights offering.

— jeremy hodges, Bloomberg.com, "Judge Halts RBS Trial as Almost All Investors Will Settle", 7 June 2017
Off the coast of South Australia, an unremarkable setting conceals one of the ocean's most spectacular events.

— steven bedard, Discover Magazine, "It's a Giant Cuttlefish Mating Spree!", 2 June 2017
Jacobs moves slowly with fluidity, concealing the magnitude of difficulty while simultaneously emphasizing its danger.

— caroline glazer, Smithsonian, "The View From the Big Top", 2 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'conceal'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of conceal

Middle English concelen, from Anglo-French conceler, from Latin concelare, from com- + celare to hide — more at hell

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of 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

CONCEAL Defined for English Language Learners

conceal

play

verb

Definition of conceal for English Language Learners

: to hide (something or someone) from sight
: to keep (something) secret

CONCEAL Defined for Kids

conceal

play

verb con·ceal \kən-ˈsēl\

Definition of conceal for Students

concealed

;

concealing

1 : to hide from sight The safe was concealed behind a large painting.
2 : to keep secret He managed to conceal his true identity.

Law Dictionary

conceal

transitive verb con·ceal

Legal Definition of conceal

1 : to prevent disclosure of or fail to disclose (as a provision in a contract) especially in violation of a duty to disclose
2a : to place out of sight Editor's 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