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

• 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

The Secret Order gives us a teensy peek at the secretive supernatural watchdog agency through the eyes of new recruit Guy Anatole (Nicholas Denton), who appears to be able to hear people’s thoughts. —Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025

The six-episode first season focuses on a secretive society called the Talamasca, which is responsible for tracking and containing the witches, vampires, and other creatures scattered around the globe. —Lynette Rice, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025

This type of unvarnished discourse is refreshing in a game filled with dishonesty, spin, and secretive media briefings. —Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

But if such factors tempered the public’s instinct to rush to the harshest judgments, the ordeal also revealed how the corporatization of sports betting had done little to snuff out a secretive underworld estimated to be responsible for $64 billion in illicit wagers annually. —David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 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