secret
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secret¹
- /ˈsiː.kɹɪt/
- /ˈsiː.kɹət/
- /ˈsiː.kɹɛt/ obsolete
Rhymes with -iːkɹɪt, -iːkɹət, -iːkɹɛt
Where it comes from
The noun is from Middle English secret, from Latin sēcrētum. Doublet of secretum. Displaced Old English dēagolnes (“a secret”).
The verb is from the noun.
noun secrets
- A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden. "Can you keep a secret?" "Yes." "So can I."
- The key or principle by which something is made clear; the knack. The secret to a long-lasting marriage is compromise.
- Something not understood or known. Thou knewſt by name, and all th' ethereal powers, / All ſecrets of the deep, all Natures works,
- Private seclusion. The work was done in secret, so that nobody could object.
- The genital organs.
- A form of steel skullcap.
- Any prayer spoken inaudibly and not aloud; especially, one of the prayers in the Tridentine Mass, immediately following the "orate, fratres", said inaudibly by the celebrant.
Similar: dern
verb secrets · secreting · secretting · secreted · secretted
- To make or keep secret. … she would unfold the silk, press it with a smooth wooden block that she'd heated in the oven, and then once more secret it away.
- To hide secretly.
secret²
- /ˈsiː.kɹɪt/
- /ˈsiː.kɹət/
- /ˈsiː.kɹɛt/ obsolete
Rhymes with -iːkɹɪt, -iːkɹət, -iːkɹɛt
Where it comes from
From Middle English secrette, from Old French secret, from Latin sēcrētus (“separated, hidden”), from ptp of sēcernō (“separate, to set aside, sunder out”), from cernō, from Proto-Indo-European *krey-. Displaced Old English dēagol (“secret”).
adjective more secret · most secret · secrette · secrete · secreat
- Being or kept hidden. We went down a secret passage.
- Withdrawn from general intercourse or notice; in retirement or secrecy; secluded. Sing Heav'nly Muſe, that on the secret top / Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didſt inſpire / That Shepherd, who firſt taught the choſen Seed, / In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth / Roſe out of Chaos: [...]
- Faithful to a secret; not inclined to divulge or betray confidence; secretive, separate, apart. What neede we any ſpurre, but our owne cauſe / To pricke vs to redreſſe? What other Bond / Than ſecret Romans, that haue ſpoke the Word, / And will not palter?
- Separate; distinct. They suppose two other divine hypostases superior thereunto, which were perfectly secret from matter.
Similar: hidden and Thesaurus:covert · Opposite: overt
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: hush-hush, confidential, privy, private, clandestine, occult, cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner, undercover, covert, secluded, surreptitious, hidden, hugger-mugger, arcanum, enigma
noun
Similar: dern
adjective
Similar: hidden and Thesaurus:covert · Opposite: overt
Translations
Every language
noun knowledge that is hidden
| Español | secreto, arcano |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 비밀 bimil |
| 日本語 | 秘密 himitsu |
| 中文 | 秘密 mìmì |
| हिन्दी | रहस्य rahasya, राज़ rāz, राज rāj, सेर ser |
| Kiswahili | siri |
| Português | segredo |
| Français | secret |
| Deutsch | Geheimnis |
| Italiano | segreto |
| Ελληνικά | μυστικό mystikó |
| Română | secret, taină |
| Русский | та́йна tájna, секре́т sekrét |
| Tiếng Việt | bí mật, điều bí mật |
| العربية | سِرّ sirr, خَفِيَّة ḵafiyya |
| עברית | סוֹד sod |
adj being or kept hidden
| Español | secreto |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 비밀(秘密)의 bimir-ui |
| 日本語 | 密か hisoka, 秘密の himitsu no |
| 中文 | 秘密的 mìmì de |
| हिन्दी | गुप्त gupt, रहस्यमय rahasyamay, छुपा chupā, पिनहाँ pinhā̃ |
| Português | secreto |
| Français | secret |
| Deutsch | geheim |
| Italiano | segreto |
| Ελληνικά | μυστικός mystikós |
| Română | secret, secretă, tainic, tainică |
| Русский | та́йный tájnyj, секре́тный sekrétnyj, потайно́й potajnój |
| Tiếng Việt | bí mật |
| العربية | سِرِّيّ sirriyy |
| עברית | סודי sodi |
Talk about this word "secret." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/secret. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. secret. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/secret "secret." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/secret.Cite this
@misc{secret_2026,
title = {secret},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/secret},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
