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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open secret

So the medical use of unsanctioned A.I. translation tools is something of an open secret.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

Leaders and workers within the labor movement describe Regan’s alleged behavior as an open secret at SEIU, which represents more than 2 million members nationwide and is the largest union in California.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

By the time the appointment was announced on Tuesday morning, it had long been an open secret that Zinedine Zidane would succeed Didier Deschamps this summer.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 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

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