conceal

[ kuhn-seel ]

/ kənˈsil /

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See synonyms for: conceal / concealed / concealing / conceals on Thesaurus.com

Definition of conceal

verb (used with object)

to hide; withdraw or remove from observation; cover or keep from sight: He concealed the gun under his coat.

to keep secret; to prevent or avoid disclosing or divulging: to conceal one's identity by using a false name.

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Origin of conceal

1275–1325; Middle English conselen, concelen <Anglo-French conceler from Latin concēlāre, equivalent to con- con- + cēlāre “to hide” (akin to hull¹, Greek koleón “scabbard” (see Coleoptera); cf. occult)

synonym study for conceal

1. See hide¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM conceal

con·ceal·a·ble, adjectivecon·ceal·a·bil·i·ty, nouncon·ceal·ed·ly, adverbcon·ceal·ed·ness, noun

con·ceal·er, nounhalf-con·cealed, adjectivehalf-con·ceal·ing, adjectivepre·con·ceal, verb (used with object)re·con·ceal, verb (used with object)sem·i·con·cealed, adjectivesub·con·cealed, adjectiveun·con·cealed, adjectiveun·con·ceal·ing, adjectiveun·con·ceal·ing·ly, adverbwell-con·cealed, adjective

Words nearby conceal

concatenation, concave, concavity, concavo-concave, concavo-convex, conceal, concealed carry, concealment, concede, conceded, conceit

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use conceal in a sentence

Trachtman combines natural items with the man-made ones and sometimes partly conceals items inside the assemblages.
In the galleries: Rejuvenating the obsolete into unconventional art|Mark Jenkins|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
He shopped online for a “Surgical Steel Tomahawk Axe” and a concealed firearm built to look like a cellphone, prosecutors alleged, and discussed coordination with Proud Boys and Three Percenters.
Former FBI official, a Navy veteran, is ‘key figure’ in Jan. 6 riot, prosecutors allege|Rachel Weiner, Spencer Hsu|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
The thin heating elements are fully concealed within the garment and are protected by a waterproof membrane, so you don’t need to worry about rain.
Best heated vest: Beat the cold weather with the right winter gear|PopSci Commerce Team|February 9, 2021|Popular-Science
Chastain told the officer he did not threaten Karau with a weapon but that he did have a concealed-carry permit and had a pistol on his person at the time of the incident, according to the police report.
Judge faults Fairfax County prosecutors for failing to notify victim of trial|Justin Jouvenal|February 5, 2021|Washington Post

He described it as “a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon others, and, on the other, to conceal the true nature of the individual.”
We Need More Feminist Dads - Issue 95: Escape|Jordan Shapiro|February 3, 2021|Nautilus
As great as this feat was, an equally demanding test followed: to conceal from the Nazis that Enigma had been beaten.
The Castration of Alan Turing, Britain’s Code-Breaking WWII Hero|Clive Irving|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many of those gathering in the run-up to the grand jury decision wore hockey and tear gas masks to conceal their identity.
Justice Was Served in Ferguson—This Isn’t Jim Crow America|Ron Christie|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I maintain that our mistake was in overthinking our criminal's desire to conceal the body.
Knowing Where the Bodies Are Buried: An Excerpt From 'Lives in Ruins'|Marilyn Johnson|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Call them Trojan horse foods: nutritiously pleasing ingredients (oats, yogurts) that conceal a whole host of junk.
Your Health Food’s Hidden Sugar Bomb|Michael Schulson|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ali can scarcely conceal his delight with this change of circumstances.
On the Contraband Trail With Libya’s Gun Smugglers|Peter Schwartzstein|June 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I, therefore, deliver it as a maxim, that whoever desires the character of a proud man ought to conceal his vanity.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
Answered Elizabeth, hardly attempting to conceal her scornful doubt of his sincerity.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
"No; his coming has taken me by surprise," replied Hartledon, with a nervousness he could not wholly conceal.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
Still, Louis did not reply; but proofs of his contending soul convulsed the features his agitated hand tried to conceal.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Was she merely an egoist—it ran in the family—or did it conceal much that she had no intention of revealing?
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for conceal

conceal

/ (kənˈsiːl) /

verb (tr)

to keep from discovery; hide

to keep secret

Derived forms of conceal

concealable, adjectiveconcealer, nounconcealment, noun

Word Origin for conceal

C14: from Old French conceler, from Latin concēlāre, from com- (intensive) + cēlāre to hide

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

conceal

Definition of conceal

Origin of conceal

synonym study for conceal

OTHER WORDS FROM conceal

Words nearby conceal

Words related to conceal

How to use conceal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for conceal

Derived forms of conceal

Word Origin for conceal