confidential

American  

[kon-fi-den-shuhl] / ˌkɒn fɪˈdɛn ʃəl /

adjective

1. spoken, written, acted on, etc., in strict privacy or secrecy; secret.

   a confidential remark.

   Synonyms:

   private, restricted

2. indicating confidence or intimacy; imparting private matters.

   a confidential tone of voice.

   Synonyms:

   familiar, intimate

3. having another's trust or confidence; entrusted with secrets or private affairs.

   a confidential secretary.

   Synonyms:

   private, trustworthy

4. (of information, a document, etc.)

   1. bearing the classification confidential, usually being above restricted and below secret.

   2. limited to persons authorized to use information, documents, etc., so classified.

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confidential British  

/ ˌkɒnfɪˈdɛnʃəl /

adjective

1. spoken, written, or given in confidence; secret; private

2. entrusted with another's confidence or secret affairs

   a confidential secretary

3. suggestive of or denoting intimacy

   a confidential approach

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Related Words

See familiar.

Other Word Forms

• confidentiality noun
• confidentially adverb
• confidentialness noun
• nonconfidential adjective
• nonconfidentiality noun
• nonconfidentially adverb
• nonconfidentialness noun
• quasi-confidential adjective
• quasi-confidentially adverb

Etymology

Origin of confidential

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin confīdenti(a) confidence + -al ¹

Example Sentences

To ensure that committee members were legally protected and kept confidential information to themselves, board members and volunteers signed several nondisclosure agreements.

From The Wall Street Journal

So far, the Kern County Superior Court has declined to release Scrivner’s attorney’s motion, stating it is confidential.

From Los Angeles Times

And it said the bank had more broadly failed to build appropriate guardrails to protect confidential information about capital-markets transactions from leaking.

From The Wall Street Journal

Last November, another employee at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant was found to have mishandled confidential documents by making copies of them and locking them in a desk.

From BBC

Those present, including representatives from the council, police, fire service and Aston Villa, were reminded that it was a "confidential discussion" and "must not be shared".

From BBC

Related Words

• classified
• hush-hush
• intimate
• private