secret
SEE-kriht
Secret (noun) means something kept hidden or known only to a select few. Example: “Can you keep a secret if I tell you about the surprise party?”
noun
1
Something kept hidden or known only to a select few.
"Can you keep a secret if I tell you about the surprise party?"
"She promised never to reveal his secret."
"The recipe has been a family secret for generations."
adjective
1
Kept hidden from most people; not publicly known.
"There is a secret door behind the bookcase in the old house."
"The band kept the location of their secret concert hidden until the last moment."
"They held a secret meeting to discuss the merger."
How to use secret
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething private and hidden, or an adjective describing anything kept concealed.
Common pairings
keep a secret
a secret meeting
top secret
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Word forms
- Plural
- secrets
- Third person singular
- secrets
- Past tense
- secreted, secretted
- Comparative
- more secret
- Superlative
- most secret
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Can you keep a _____ if I tell you about the surprise party?
Etymology
From Latin "sēcrētum" ("something hidden"), the past participle of "secernere" ("to separate, set apart").
Synonyms
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confidence
private matter
confidential information
classified information
hidden truth
arcanum
enigma
mystery
hidden
mystical
confidential
occult
Antonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “secret” mean?
The word “secret” means something kept hidden or known only to a select few. In plain terms, something private and hidden, or an adjective describing anything kept concealed.
How do you pronounce “secret”?
“Secret” is pronounced SEE-kriht (/ˈsiː.kɹɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “secret” in a sentence?
Here is “secret” used in a sentence: “She promised never to reveal his secret.”
What is another word for “secret”?
Words with a similar meaning to “secret” include dern and hidden and Thesaurus:covert.
What is the opposite of “secret”?
The opposite of “secret” — its antonyms — is overt.
What part of speech is “secret”?
Depending on how it is used, “secret” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “secret” come from?
The word “secret” comes from Latin. From Latin "sēcrētum" ("something hidden"), the past participle of "secernere" ("to separate, set apart").
Is “secret” a common word?
“Secret” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
What is the difference between a secret and a mystery?
A secret is something deliberately kept hidden, where someone knows the information and chooses not to share it. A mystery is something not yet understood or explained, which nobody may know. A secret involves concealment by a person; a mystery involves the absence of an answer altogether.
What is an example of a secret?
A surprise party you're planning, a password you don't share, a private family matter, or confidential business plans are all secrets. Each is information deliberately withheld from most people and known only to one person or a small circle of trusted individuals.
Is keeping a secret good or bad?
It depends entirely on the secret. Keeping a confidence protects privacy, builds trust, and can guard someone from harm. But hiding wrongdoing or important truths can be damaging or dishonest. A secret itself is neutral; its value lies in why it is kept and what it conceals.
What is the opposite of a secret?
The opposite of a secret is common knowledge, something openly known and freely shared. Words like "disclosure," "public knowledge," or simply "the truth out in the open" capture the idea. Where a secret is concealed from most people, its opposite is available to everyone.
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