top secret

adjective

1
: protected by a high degree of secrecy
a top secret weapon
a top secret meeting
2
a
: containing or being information whose unauthorized disclosure could result in exceptionally grave danger to the nation
top secret messages
compare confidential, secret
b
: of or relating to top secret documents
a top secret clearance

Examples of top secret in a Sentence

The mission is top secret.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The exact date of the wedding and related events are top secret, further fueling local frustrations. Martha Ross, Mercury News, 18 June 2025 Though details of the Bezos-Sánchez wedding are top secret, according to Vogue, the guest list could include celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Katy Perry — Sánchez’s crewmate on an April spaceflight by Bezos’ Blue Origin — and at least some of the Kardashians. Molly Hunter, NBC news, 16 June 2025 As with all previous contests, the vote remained top secret and little will be known in the wider world about the new leader of the Catholic church. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 May 2025 David Slater, 64, who had top secret clearance at his job at the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, pleaded guilty to a single count before a federal magistrate judge in Omaha on Thursday. CBS News, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for top secret

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of top secret was in 1942

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Cite this Entry

“Top secret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/top%20secret. Accessed 1 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

top secret

adjective
1
: protected by a high degree of secrecy
a top secret meeting
2
: containing information that is very important to the safety and defense of a nation
top secret messages

More from Merriam-Webster on top secret

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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