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

The secretive conclave, in which roughly 130 cardinals from around the world gather in the Sistine Chapel to elect the next Catholic Church leader is already prompting real movie-worthy drama. —Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 28 Apr. 2025

During this highly secretive process, recently dramatized in the 2024 Oscar-winning film Conclave, the cardinals are completely cut off from the outside world until a new pope is chosen. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025

The secretive country's leader, Kim Jong-Un, said last year that Pyongyang would use nuclear weapons to annihilate South Korea if Seoul launched an attack north of the border. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025

Cardinal electors meet in the Sistine Chapel and begin the secretive voting process for the next pope. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 25 Apr. 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