secretive

adjective

se·​cre·​tive ˈsē-krə-tiv 

si-ˈkrē-

: disposed to secrecy : not open or outgoing in speech, activity, or purposes

secretively adverb

secretiveness noun

Synonyms of secretive

• silent
• quiet
• close
• reticent
• uncommunicative
• closemouthed
• dark

Choose the Right Synonym for secretive

silent, taciturn, reticent, reserved, secretive mean showing restraint in speaking.

silent implies a habit of saying no more than is needed.

the strong, silent type

taciturn implies a temperamental disinclination to speech and usually connotes unsociability.

taciturn villagers

reticent implies a reluctance to speak out or at length, especially about one's own affairs.

was reticent about his plans

reserved implies reticence and suggests the restraining influence of caution or formality in checking easy informal conversational exchange.

greetings were brief, formal, and reserved

secretive, too, implies reticence but usually carries a suggestion of deviousness and lack of frankness or of an often ostentatious will to conceal.

the secretive research and development division

Examples of secretive in a Sentence

He's very secretive about his work.

the intelligence agency remained secretive despite the media's demands for more openness in government

Recent Examples on the Web

Proponents say these bills are a response to an industry that has been strikingly fast-moving and secretive, providing little opportunity for substantive public input. —Ella Nilsen, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026

Bennett followed in his father’s footsteps attending to various needs at secretive club that hosts the Masters. —Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026

There’s no clear answer, with much of the details hidden beneath layers of secretive multi-party negotiations and changing dynamics. —Josh Meyer, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026

Artists are often secretive creatures, hesitant to disclose too much, and none more so than Marcel Duchamp, who spun slipperiness into an art form. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from secretiveness, partial translation of French secrétivité

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

secretive

adjective

se·​cre·​tive ˈsē-krət-iv 

si-ˈkrēt-

: having a tendency toward secrecy and concealment : not frank or open

secretively adverb

secretiveness noun