confidential
Americanadjective
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spoken, written, acted on, etc., in strict privacy or secrecy; secret.
a confidential remark.
- Synonyms:
- private, restricted
-
indicating confidence or intimacy; imparting private matters.
a confidential tone of voice.
-
having another's trust or confidence; entrusted with secrets or private affairs.
a confidential secretary.
- Synonyms:
- private, trustworthy
-
(of information, a document, etc.)
-
bearing the classification confidential, usually being above restricted and below secret.
-
limited to persons authorized to use information, documents, etc., so classified.
-
adjective
-
spoken, written, or given in confidence; secret; private
-
entrusted with another's confidence or secret affairs
a confidential secretary
-
suggestive of or denoting intimacy
a confidential approach
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He was following orders: Congress had told him to prevent the British from intercepting confidential correspondence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
It forbids therapists from insisting on spreading their personal views through confidential, sensitive conversations with trusting minors happening behind closed doors.
From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026
Elon Musk's SpaceX has filed confidential papers with US securities regulators for what could be the largest-ever public stock offering, a source familiar with the matter told AFP on Wednesday.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
Tesla stock is up almost 3% in afternoon action on Wednesday after Musk’s SpaceX reportedly filed confidential paperwork for an initial public offering.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
“What made you stay away so long?” she asked presently, finding it so pleasant to ask confidential questions and get delightful answers that she could not keep silent.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
