secretive

¹ American  

[see-kri-tiv, si-kree-] / ˈsi krɪ tɪv, sɪˈkri- /

adjective

1. having or showing a disposition to secrecy; reticent.

   He seems secretive about his new job.

   Synonyms:

   close, secret

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secretive ² American  

[si-kree-tiv] / sɪˈkri tɪv /

adjective

1. secretory.

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secretive British  

/ ˈsiːkrɪtɪv, sɪˈkriːtɪv /

adjective

1. inclined to secrecy; reticent

2. another word for secretory

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Usage

What does secretive mean? Secretive is commonly used to describe people or organizations that are prone to secrecy—they avoid revealing information about themselves and try to keep their actions private. The word secretive can also be used to describe such actions. People who are secretive often don’t let other people get to know them very well, often by keeping secrets about their life. They may do this because they have something to hide or because they don’t trust other people. Organizations described as secretive are often those that hide details about their operations. A secretive company may be one that closely guards information about its product development or financial situation. Animals described as secretive are those that tend to stay hidden. Describing things or people as secretive often implies that you are suspicious of them because it seems like they are hiding something. An unrelated and less common meaning of secretive is based not on secret but on the verb secrete. This sense of secretive means involving the process of secretion—the production and release of substances from specialized cells within an organism, such as glands. For example, the pancreas can be described as secretive in this way because it secretes digestive fluid and insulin. Another word for this is secretory. Example: I always ask Sylvie about her weekend plans, but she’s so secretive that she only smiles furtively and walks away.

Other Word Forms

• secretiveness
  noun
• secretively
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of secretive¹

1425–75; late Middle English; back formation from secretiveness (itself modeled on French secrétivité ). See secret, -ive

Origin of secretive²

secret(ion) + -ive

Explanation

If you don't like sharing information or letting other people know how you feel, you're secretive. Secretive people probably make the best spies. When a person is secretive, they seem mysterious because they don't reveal much about themselves. You can also be secretive about something specific — you might be suspicious of your sister's secretive behavior until you realize she's been planning a surprise party for your birthday. Secretive existed in the same form in Middle English, from the Latin root secretus, "withdrawn, hidden, concealed, or private."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

secretive

Apocalyptic eschatology has long been an interest of Thiel’s, who has made the Antichrist a central topic of secretive lectures he’s given behind closed doors.

From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026

According to an investigation published last week, the United States has deported more than 25,000 people under secretive agreements with 35 countries to take migrants with no ties to those nations.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

We see this secretive man from many angles, to the extent he allows—Mr. Worthen makes clear where the holes exist and where reasonable guesswork may lead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

The Swede, who’s lived in L.A. for nearly a decade, hosts a secretive, recurring party at the bar called SOUP.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

Who was the secretive man Adah had seen in Axelroot’s shack, laughing about orders from President Eisenhower?

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Related Words

• covert
• enigmatic
• reticent
• taciturn