open secret

noun

: a supposedly secret but generally known matter

Examples of open secret in a Sentence

It's an open secret that he's been cheating on his wife.

Recent Examples on the Web

In an industry small enough that many of the top people are on a first-name basis, SRC’s inability to secure such a supply is an open secret. — Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2026

Davis was shocked by his trade in February to Washington, and his desire for a long-term contract extension is an open secret around the league. — Josh Robbins, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2026

The buck, an incredible nontypical photographed in velvet, was an open secret among locals and public-land hunters in western Wyoming and northeast Utah. — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 23 Sep. 2026

Analysts said that the revelation by Washington confirmed an open secret but the timing of the announcement risked exacerbating tensions with Beijing and the risk of a weapons race in space. — CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

open secret

noun

: something supposed to be a secret but in fact generally known