Nonrevealing

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing clothing or fabric that does not expose much of the body or reveal intimate details; characterizing information or behavior that is deliberately vague or limited in disclosure; indicating something that conceals rather than displays content or form
2. Referring to attire that covers the body fully without showing private areas; relating to speech or writing that is intentionally evasive or incomplete in revealing facts; suggesting an aspect that hides or keeps details secret rather than making them apparent
3. Pertaining to garments designed to avoid exposing skin or contours; denoting communication that provides minimal insight or withholds significant information; implying an object or action that prevents clear visibility or understanding of what lies beneath or within

Etymology: "Nonrevealing" is a simple formation: the prefix "non-," meaning "not," attached to "revealing," the adjective from "reveal." The prefix comes from Latin "non," and "reveal" traces back through Old French "reveler" to Latin "revelare," meaning "to unveil" or "to draw back a veil," from "re-" (back) and "velare" (to cover). So "revealing" originally carried the sense of uncovering something hidden, and "nonrevealing" is simply its negation: a garment or style that does not uncover. The modern sense of "revealing" as applied to clothing, meaning showing a lot of skin or body, is a later extension of the verb's basic meaning of disclosing what was concealed. "Nonrevealing" takes that fashion-oriented sense and inverts it, describing clothes that keep the body covered. The word is most often used in discussions of dress codes, modest clothing, and advertising.

Synonyms: concealing, discreet, reserved, secretive

Antonyms: revealing, expressive, disclosing