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

• close
• closemouthed
• dark
• reticent
• tight-mouthed
• uncommunicative

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

Inside more of the Sheriff’s Department’s secretive investigation into Villanueva’s critics Disneyland workers Disneyland workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. —Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 22 July 2024

Clandestine Brewing Despite the secretive name, Clandestine Brewing deserves to be better known. —Jay Brooks, The Mercury News, 16 July 2024

Rattlesnakes are found almost everywhere in the continental United States, the National Wildlife Federation writes, but experts often note how researching them is difficult for several reasons, including their rugged habitats and secretive behavior. —Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 16 July 2024

That episode is also one of several from late in the season devoted to explaining the show’s byzantine plot, which involves both Masa’s secretive electronics company and a war between local Yakuza factions. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2024

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