Secret

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈsiː.kɹɪt/

Definitions

1. Something kept hidden or unknown to others because one wishes to conceal it from their knowledge
2. Information or facts deliberately withheld from others ; meant to be kept confidential or private ; characterized by a hidden or undisclosed nature
3. A fact or detail not revealed to others ; something designed to remain confidential or restricted ; possessing qualities that are not openly shown or explained

Etymology: Old English had its own word for a hidden matter, "dēagol", and "rūn", which survives today as "roun" in Scots and northern dialect. English got "secret" later, through Old French, and it displaced the older native words. The English adjective and noun carry a Latin core: "sēcrētus" meant "separated, set apart," from the verb "sēcernere," which combined "sē-" (apart) with "cernere" (to sift or separate). So the original idea was less about concealment than about something set aside from the common run of things. The Latin noun "sēcrētum" also gave English a doublet, "secretum," which entered the language directly and kept its Latin form. The two words share a root but took different routes, with "secret" arriving through French and "secretum" borrowed straight from Latin.

Synonyms: hidden, covert, confidential, classified, private

Antonyms: public, open, known, revealed, obvious