secret

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adjective

se·cret ˈsē-krət

Synonyms of secret next

: kept from knowledge or view : hidden

: marked by the habit of discretion : closemouthed

: working with hidden aims or methods : undercover

a secret agent

: not acknowledged : unavowed

a secret bride

: conducted in secret

a secret trial

: remote from human frequentation or notice : secluded

: revealed only to the initiated : esoteric

: designed to elude observation or detection

a secret panel

: containing information whose unauthorized disclosure could endanger national security compare confidential, top secret

secretly adverb

secret

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noun

: something kept hidden or unexplained : mystery

: something kept from the knowledge of others or shared only confidentially with a few

: a method, formula, or process used in an art or operation and divulged only to those of one's own company or craft : trade secret

secrets plural : the practices or knowledge making up the shared discipline or culture of an esoteric society

: a prayer traditionally said inaudibly by the celebrant just before the preface of the mass

: something taken to be a specific or key to a desired end

the secret of longevity

Phrases

in secret

: in a private place or manner

Choose the Right Synonym for secret

secret, covert, stealthy, furtive, clandestine, surreptitious, underhanded mean done without attracting observation.

secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority.

the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons

underhanded stresses fraud or deception.

an underhanded trick

Examples of secret in a Sentence

Adjective Her secret wish is to become a senator. The message was written in secret code. I don't know the secret password. He was sent on a secret mission. They engaged in secret negotiations with the enemy. She tried to keep her marriage secret. They've been very secret about their plans. Noun Don't tell him about the party—it's a secret. I'm going to tell you a secret, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else. You always look great. What's your secret? She shared her beauty secrets with the group. The secret to a good sauce is the base. the secrets of the universe one of nature's greatest secrets See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Blacklisted musicians now had to record and perform in secret rooms. —

Matthew Dursum, SPIN, 20 Nov. 2023 The trial was aimed at securing convictions and sentences based on alleged acts of collusion among mobsters and local politicians, public officials, businessmen and members of secret lodges to show how deeply rooted the syndicate is in Calabria. —

Bradford Betz, Fox News, 20 Nov. 2023 The negotiations remained secret, moving over the next nine months to out-of-the-way locations, including a farmhouse. —

Emily Bazelon, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023 But her concerns were validated shortly after when the woman told Jasmine Gino had a secret Bachelor Party at a strip club, just one day before Jasmine moved to America. —

Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023 The spot even has its own secret entrance for celebrities. —

Michelle Duncan, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2023 And the recent public back-and-forth about a temporary ceasefire—including Netanyahu’s qualified rejections of the proposal—should be considered in light of the ongoing secret negotiations over the fate of Israeli and international hostages. —

Steve Coll, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2023 Though fighting as a national army, and despite many successes, Ukraine’s forces have had to maneuver behind their own lines almost as partisans, always in secret, seeking to avoid large formations. —

Maria Varenikova, New York Times, 7 Nov. 2023 Using the four color-reveal secret keys, kids will enjoy unlocking each compartment of the doll’s locker and revealing over 19 surprises. —

Maya Polton, Parents, 7 Nov. 2023

Noun

Fargo Season Five: Cast, Series Synopsis Set in 2019, Fargo season five tells the story of Dorothy Lyon (played by Temple), a housewife in Minnesota who has a dark secret about her past, and Roy Tillman (played by Hamm), a sheriff in North Dakota who has been searching for Lyon for years. —

Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023 There are grudges, and wounds, and a terrible racist secret in the attic, as there is in much of American life. —

Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2023 Related The new TikTok study doesn’t unlock any secrets on that front. —

Elias Leight, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2023 The secret is in the fabric: brushed fleece, polyester, and cotton deliver the best of breathability, comfort, and moisture resistance. —

Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 20 Nov. 2023 But at Crest Beverage, attracting talent and keeping it has been the local company’s secret to success. —

Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2023 Here too, these violations are not a secret: The facility’s licensing agency, Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services, has been documenting this improper use of seclusion for years at Bean’s center and elsewhere. —

Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 16 Nov. 2023 Could going 30 days without shampooing be the secret to healthy hair? —

Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 15 Nov. 2023 Rescuing Data Lost to Time For decades, those logbooks were classified to protect military secrets. —

Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'secret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French secré, secret, from Latin secretus, from past participle of secernere to separate, distinguish, from se- apart + cernere to sift — more at secede, certain

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of secret was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century