conceal
Americanverb (used with object)
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to hide; withdraw or remove from observation; cover or keep from sight.
He concealed the gun under his coat.
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to keep secret; to prevent or avoid disclosing or divulging.
to conceal one's identity by using a false name.
verb
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to keep from discovery; hide
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to keep secret
Related Words
See hide 1.
Other Word Forms
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concealabilitynoun
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concealableadjective
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concealedlyadverb
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concealednessnoun
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concealernoun
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concealmentnoun
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half-concealedadjective
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half-concealingadjective
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preconcealverb (used with object)
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reconcealverb (used with object)
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semiconcealedadjective
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subconcealedadjective
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unconcealedadjective
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unconcealingadjective
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unconcealinglyadverb
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well-concealedadjective
Etymology
Origin of conceal
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English conselen, concelen, from Anglo-French conceler from Latin concēlāre, from con- con- + cēlāre “to hide” ( see also hull 1)
Explanation
When you conceal something, you are keeping it from being discovered: “To avoid another argument with his cousins, Jonathan worked hard to conceal his disappointment at the outcome of the race.” The verb conceal can be used to describe the hiding of feelings (as in “to conceal anger”) or facts (as in “to conceal identity”). Conceal also can be used to describe the act of hiding or covering an item to prevent discovery. If you eat the last piece of chocolate cake, for example, you may want to conceal the evidence by removing the icing-stained plate from your room.
Vocabulary lists containing conceal
"Of Mice and Men"
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The Star Spangled Banner
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"Black Ships Before Troy," Vocabulary from the myth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In retrospect, the Company show’s title, “Hold on, let me take the safety off,” pointed directly to “Mask / Conceal / Carry.”
From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2022
At times these entries convey a startling tenderness and intimacy, as they do in “Mask / Conceal / Carry,” her current exhibition at 52 Walker — a multidimensional meditation on guns.
From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2022
After working in local government, she founded a company called Couture Conceal and developed a concealed carry product, the TACH-M, that allows women to securely carry firearms in their designer purses.
From Washington Times • Sep. 10, 2016
Despite his campaign rhetoric about engaging Iran, he embraced President George W. Bush’s covert cyber operation against Iran’s nuclear program, as David Sanger outlines in his book Confront and Conceal.
From Slate • Oct. 19, 2012
"Through that door. Conceal yourself behind the curtains at the rear of the small balcony."
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
