hidden
Americanadjective
verb
verb
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hidden
First recorded in 1540–50, for the adjective
Explanation
Hidden things can't be seen — they're concealed in some way. A hidden video camera inside a teddy bear might secretly be keeping an eye on a new babysitter. People with hidden feelings don't let their sadness, anger, and joy show; and hidden clues in a treasure hunt can't be easily found. Hidden things can be obscured deliberately (like hidden eggs at an Easter egg hunt), or simply out of view or undetected by you. Hidden is the past participle of hide, from the Old English hydan, which means "to hide or conceal," but also "to bury a corpse."
Vocabulary lists containing hidden
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 his opening arguments, Haytham Faraj, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said Orellana-Peralta and her mother had hidden in a changing room on the second floor amid the commotion of the police response.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
Meanwhile, recent BBC One series Secret Garden saw Sir David examine the hidden worlds and wildlife thriving in British gardens.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
HSBC’s steps-removed loan to MFS shows why investors in banks and asset managers and wider markets are worried about hidden risks in private credit, a $3 trillion market in which nonbanks lend money to companies.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Rather than predicting outcomes based on known rules, they allow scientists to start with observed data and work backward to uncover the hidden forces driving those observations.
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
He opened his closet door, pushed aside the boots and sneakers and slippers on the floor, and found the little box he had hidden in the corner.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
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.
