secrecy

[ see-kruh-see ]

/ ˈsi krə si /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR secrecy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural se·cre·cies for 5.

the state or condition of being secret, hidden, or concealed: a meeting held in secrecy.

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.

Words nearby secrecy

secondhand smoke, secondly, secondment, secondo, secos, secrecy, secret, secret agent, secret ballot, secret history, secret partner

Origin of secrecy

1375–1425; obsolete secre (< Middle French secré secret) + -cy; replacing late Middle English secretee, equivalent to secre + -tee -ty²

SYNONYMS FOR secrecy

1 confidentiality, privacy, stealth, covertness.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR secrecy ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM secrecy

an·ti·se·cre·cy, adjectivenon·se·cre·cy, noun, plural non·se·cre·cies.pro·se·cre·cy, adjectivesem·i·se·cre·cy, noun

su·per·se·cre·cy, noun, plural su·per·se·cre·cies.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for secrecy

Some secrets, it seems, must be kept even from elected representatives who could still be sworn to secrecy.
After Torture Report, Our Moral Authority As a Nation Is Gone|Nick Gillespie|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The FSLN-controlled legislative assembly approved the mega-project under a cloud of secrecy in a record seven days.
China’s Nicaragua Canal Could Spark a New Central America Revolution|Nina Lakhani|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To date, much of the details of the diplomacy and even the interim deal between Iran and the West are shrouded in secrecy.
Republican Hawks Already Have a War Plan for ISIS, Ukraine, and Obama|Eli Lake|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the secrecy and fear surrounding the once-successful quarantine has now put the region in even greater danger.
Fighting Ebola and Starvation in Sierra Leone|Abby Haglage|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The process for informing the Senate and House intelligence committees is often shrouded in secrecy.
Congress Scouring Every U.S. Spy Program|Eli Lake|October 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With the waking of the world, all her dreams shrank back into secrecy and shame.
Folle-Farine|Ouida
I know I can trust to your secrecy, but pray don't look at me so deplorably.
An Egyptian Princess, Complete|Georg Ebers
The punishment for betrayal of secrecy was "the extreme penalty of the Law."
The Sequel of Appomattox|Walter Lynwood Fleming
I was a good deal surprised at receiving a letter through such a source, especially as Esmerelda whispered me to secrecy.
Medoline Selwyn's Work|Mrs. J. J. Colter
And here, again, we note the use of secrecy in matters of power.
Mysticism and its Results|John Delafield

British Dictionary definitions for secrecy

secrecy

/ (ˈsiːkrɪsɪ) /

noun plural -cies

the state or quality of being secret

the state of keeping something secret

the ability or tendency to keep things secret

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

secrecy

noun, plural se·cre·cies for 5.

Words related to secrecy

Words nearby secrecy

Origin of secrecy

SYNONYMS FOR secrecy

OTHER WORDS FROM secrecy

Examples from the Web for secrecy

British Dictionary definitions for secrecy

noun plural -cies