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

Although Lorca isn’t granted his own narrative, his life and legacy—the passion of his left-wing activism, the subversiveness of his art, and the open secret of his homosexuality—make up the tissue that connects all three of the film’s stories. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2026

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

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