secrecy
Americannoun
plural
secrecies-
the state or condition of being secret, hidden, or concealed.
a meeting held in secrecy.
- Synonyms:
- covertness, stealth, privacy, confidentiality
-
the state of being apart from other people; privacy; seclusion.
-
ability to keep a secret.
-
the habit or characteristic of being secretive; reticence.
-
Archaic. something that is secret or mysterious.
the secrecies of nature.
noun
-
the state or quality of being secret
-
the state of keeping something secret
-
the ability or tendency to keep things secret
Other Word Forms
- antisecrecy adjective
- nonsecrecy noun
- prosecrecy adjective
- semisecrecy noun
- supersecrecy noun
Etymology
Origin of secrecy
1375–1425; obsolete secre (< Middle French secré secret ) + -cy; replacing late Middle English secretee, equivalent to secre + -tee -ty 2
Explanation
Secrecy is a word for a state or condition where things are concealed or hidden. CIA agents and conspirators know a lot about secrecy. Since a secret is something some people don't know, secrecy is all about keeping things private or concealed. Being a spy involves a lot of secrecy. When information is important or sensitive, people try to create secrecy. Also, you can say secrecy is a quality people have, like courage. Someone who doesn't gossip has a good sense of secrecy. When all lips are sealed, there's secrecy.
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.
Commercial secrecy should not take priority over public safety.
From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026
ExpressVPN uses AES-256 encryption with perfect forward secrecy across all connections.
From Salon • Mar. 30, 2026
Arguing for secrecy, the security service told judges it had stuck to its policy of not confirming or denying informants' identities.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
Financial infidelity is at least as damaging to a marriage and a couple’s livelihood as other kinds of secrecy and unfaithfulness.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026
‘All right, I’ll tackle Strider by the camp-fire: he’s less testy. But why all this secrecy? I thought we’d won the battle!’
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
