confidential

The word “confidential” means meant to be kept secret and shared only with a limited group of people. In plain terms, private and secret — not to be shared beyond a trusted circle.

“Confidential” is pronounced kon-fih-DEHN-shuhl (/ˌkɔn.fɪˈdɛn.ʃəl/ in IPA).

Here is “confidential” used in a sentence: “The report was marked confidential and locked in a safe.”

“Confidential” is an adjective.

The word “confidential” comes from Latin. From Latin cōnfīdentia plus the suffix -al, possibly modeled on French confidentiel.

“Confidential” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Confidential means information is meant to be kept secret and shared only with a limited, authorized group, often in a professional or legal setting. Private is broader and more personal, describing anything not meant for public view, so all confidential matters are private, but not everything private is formally confidential.

Confidential describes information meant to be kept secret and shared only with certain people, used widely in business, medicine, and law. Classified specifically means information restricted by a government or military security system, and "confidential" is in fact one of the levels used within such classification schemes.

Both mean information is not to be shared freely. "Confidential" implies it may be shared within a defined, trusted group that is obliged to protect it, often formally, while "secret" simply means it is kept hidden from others and carries a stronger, more absolute sense of concealment.