English Explanatory Dictionary

secret

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden.
  2. The key or principle by which something is made clear; the knack.
  3. Something not understood or known.
  4. Private seclusion.
  5. The genital organs.
  6. A form of steel skullcap.
  7. Any prayer spoken inaudibly and not aloud; especially, one of the prayers in the Tridentine Mass, immediately following the "orate, fratres", said inaudibly by the celebrant.
verb
  1. To make or keep secret.
  2. To hide secretly.
adj
  1. Being or kept hidden.
  2. Withdrawn from general intercourse or notice; in retirement or secrecy; secluded.
  3. Faithful to a secret; not inclined to divulge or betray confidence; secretive, separate, apart.
  4. Separate; distinct.

Pronunciation

/ˈsiː.kɹɪt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-secret.wav en-us-secret.ogg /ˈsiː.kɹət/ /ˈsiː.kɹɛt/

Word forms

secret secrets secreting secretting secreted secretted more secret most secret secrette secrete secreat

Etymology

The noun is from Middle English secret, from Latin sēcrētum. Doublet of secretum. Displaced Old English dēagolnes (“a secret”). The verb is from the noun.

Synonyms

dern hidden and Thesaurus:covert

Antonyms

overt

Related words

secrete secretion

Derived words

best-kept secret in secret make no secret of nonsecret open secret pseudosecret secretist secretmonger secret of Polichinelle secret sharing secret squirrel state secret subsecret supersecret top secret trade secret Victoria's Secret worst-kept secret secrete secret admirer secret agent secret agentry secret ballot secret chancellor secret code secret government secret handshake secret history secret ink secretive secret key secretly secret menu secretness secret partner secret police secret recipe secret-sacred secret Santa secret sauce secret service secret shopper secret society secret sock secret vice secret weapon secret writing semisecretsupersecret top-secret ultrasecret unsecret
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