adj
Common
confidential
kon-fih-DEHN-shuhl
Confidential (adj) means Meant to be kept secret and shared only with a limited group of people. Example: “Staff must not discuss confidential client details outside the office.”
adj
1
Meant to be kept secret and shared only with a limited group of people.
"Staff must not discuss confidential client details outside the office."
"The report was marked confidential and locked in a safe."
"Please treat this information as confidential."
How to use confidential
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPrivate and secret — not to be shared beyond a trusted circle.
Common pairings
confidential information
strictly confidential
confidential report
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more confidential
- Superlative
- most confidential
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Staff must not discuss _____ client details outside the office.
Etymology
From Latin cōnfīdentia plus the suffix -al, possibly modeled on French confidentiel.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for confidential
See all rhymes for confidential →Frequently asked questions
What does “confidential” mean?
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.
How do you pronounce “confidential”?
“Confidential” is pronounced kon-fih-DEHN-shuhl (/ˌkɔn.fɪˈdɛn.ʃəl/ in IPA).
How do you use “confidential” in a sentence?
Here is “confidential” used in a sentence: “The report was marked confidential and locked in a safe.”
What part of speech is “confidential”?
“Confidential” is an adjective.
Where does the word “confidential” come from?
The word “confidential” comes from Latin. From Latin cōnfīdentia plus the suffix -al, possibly modeled on French confidentiel.
Is “confidential” a common word?
“Confidential” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between confidential and private?
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.
What is the difference between confidential and classified?
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.
What is the difference between confidential and secret?
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.
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