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

Take the quiz here … SILENCE BROKEN – Government lifts Wi-Fi ban in the secretive ‘quiet zone’ amid tourism boost. —FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025

Specifically, the bill would target funding related to border militarization, what Gomez calls inhumane detention, razor wire grants, and secretive Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ICE programs. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

Not only are the latest Trainium racks using a new (somewhat secretive) kind of interconnect between server racks, but up to 144 chips inside the individual racks are also connected, allowing each chip to talk directly to another chip. —Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 3 Dec. 2025

At the center of this story are the secretive NGAD X-planes. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Nov. 2025

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