confidential

adjective

ˌkän-fə-ˈden(t)-shəl How to pronounce confidential (audio)
Definition of confidentialnext
as in private
not known or meant to be known by the general populace someone leaked confidential government information to the press

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of confidential Insider trading has been a major issue for prediction markets, with multiple cases emerging of insiders using confidential information for personal profit. — Tim Britton, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Those are required under federal law to be confidential, and for good reason. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026 Cumming said the lawsuit sought to prevent the city from interfering with OIG investigations and access to confidential systems. — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Bonta’s beef was that the substance of the nascent negotiations appeared in newspaper articles despite both sides agreeing to hold confidential talks, Bonta said, adding that crossed the line. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for confidential
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confidential
  1. private
  2. secret
  3. classified
  4. personal
  5. undisclosed
  6. esoteric
  7. intimate
Adjective
  • Some are worried about the legal implications of handling such large quantities of previously private game builds as well.
    — Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In the village of Bilbasovka in eastern Ukraine, a 13-year-old child and an adult died after Russian troops dropped bombs on private houses Sunday, according to local official Vadim Lyakh.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of private
Adjective
  • From a secret Las Vegas elopement in January that cost the couple only $799, as Windey told Cosmopolitan, to an April courthouse ceremony.
    — Mariah Alanskas, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Niemiller and his team have named the new species Demogorgonichthys arcanus, a wink to the otherworldly creature that emerged in a secret federal lab in the Netflix series Stranger Things.
    — Elizabeth Anne Brown, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of secret
Adjective
  • Some parts of the government’s review process are classified.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The public report follows a classified version issued in July.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of classified
Adjective
  • When the seasons start to change, personal style can be put into peril.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The overall taste experience, personal preferences and the moments associated with a brand all contribute to why someone may prefer one cola over another.
    — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of personal
Adjective
  • Horton has not practiced recently due to an undisclosed injury and was not on the practice field on Sunday.
    — Andrew Destin, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Its computing power in TOPS, or trillions of operations per second, remains undisclosed.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of undisclosed
Adjective
  • That's an important, if esoteric, distinction, as Asus already claimed the first RGB OLED gaming monitor (the ROG Swift PG34WCDN), and LG called dibs on the world’s first 39-inch 5K2K OLED gaming monitor with the GX9.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Even though Truell was then chasing an esoteric idea around AI for CAD, Tisch and the partners at BoxGroup listened.
    — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of esoteric
Adjective
  • With Diane Lane narrating from Eleanor’s journals during that time, Making Marie Antoinette transcends a behind-the-scenes special and becomes a much more intimate look into the artistry of a mother and daughter in conversation with each other.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • And given the intimate size of the hotel, expect to drink a few too many G&Ts with them once evenings swing around.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of intimate

Browse Nearby Words

confident
confidential
confidentiality
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Cite this Entry

“Confidential.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confidential. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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