secretive

adjective

se·​cre·​tive ˈsē-krə-tiv How to pronounce secretive (audio)
si-ˈkrē-
: disposed to secrecy : not open or outgoing in speech, activity, or purposes
secretively adverb
secretiveness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for secretive

silent, taciturn, reticent, reserved, secretive mean showing restraint in speaking.

silent implies a habit of saying no more than is needed.

the strong, silent type

taciturn implies a temperamental disinclination to speech and usually connotes unsociability.

taciturn villagers

reticent implies a reluctance to speak out or at length, especially about one's own affairs.

was reticent about his plans

reserved implies reticence and suggests the restraining influence of caution or formality in checking easy informal conversational exchange.

greetings were brief, formal, and reserved

secretive, too, implies reticence but usually carries a suggestion of deviousness and lack of frankness or of an often ostentatious will to conceal.

the secretive research and development division

Examples of secretive in a Sentence

He's very secretive about his work. the intelligence agency remained secretive despite the media's demands for more openness in government
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This is followed by a full moon in Leo on Feb. 12, shaking up your secretive 12th house of healing, privacy and unconscious patterns. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Feb. 2025 While most of the program’s agents are engrossed in secretive investigative work, even the most menial role is critical — like Peter Sutherland’s. Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2025 The National Nuclear Security Administration, the civilian agency maintaining America's nuclear stockpile, allowed journalists, including NPR, to tour a secretive laboratory. Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Jan. 2025 He's investigated the hidden offshore wealth of Russian oligarchs, billions of dollars in assets held offshore by a member of the Adani family and the Adani Group, and the maze of corporate structures and secretive inner circle of crypto giant Binance. Giacomo Tognini, Forbes, 30 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for secretive 

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from secretiveness, partial translation of French secrétivité

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of secretive was in 1835

Dictionary Entries Near secretive

Cite this Entry

“Secretive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secretive. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

secretive

adjective
se·​cre·​tive ˈsē-krət-iv How to pronounce secretive (audio)
si-ˈkrēt-
: having a tendency toward secrecy and concealment : not frank or open
secretively adverb
secretiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on secretive

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