open secret

American  

noun

1. something supposedly secret but actually known quite generally.

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open secret British  

noun

1. something that is supposed to be secret but is widely known

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open secret Idioms  

1. Something that is supposedly clandestine but is in fact widely known, as in It's an open secret that both their children are adopted. This expression originated as the title of a Spanish play by Calderón, El Secreto a Voces (“The Noisy Secret”), which was translated by Carlo Gozzi into Italian as Il pubblico secreto (1769). In English the term came into general use during the 1800s.

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Etymology

Origin of open secret

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open secret

On Tuesday, he said it was an "open secret" other parties had concerns about "the behaviour of the DUP" and its impact on executive stability, but his party would continue "turning up every day".

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

This week, we’re addressing the open secret that is “soft” off days.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

“When it gets to the point that it’s an open secret for years, then everyone is complicit in an open secret,” Nevils said.

From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026

His onetime allies in Congress are being asked whether they knew about his conduct, which has been described as an open secret on Capitol Hill.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026

The open secret of the Maafa had been bothering me throughout my time here, and it had taken something High John said to make me understand.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia