something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)
"the combination to the safe was a secret"
"he tried to keep his drinking a secret"
something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
"how it got out is a mystery"
"it remains one of nature's secrets"
A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden.
"She whispered her secret about the surprise party so no one else would hear it before the guests arrived."
In plain English: A secret is something you keep hidden from other people so they don't know about it.
"She kept her surprise party plan as a secret until the big day."
Usage: Use this noun when referring specifically to information or facts deliberately concealed from others, rather than the adjective describing something private. It often appears in phrases like "keep a secret" where it functions as an object representing undisclosed details.
To make or keep secret.
"She decided to keep his surprise birthday party a secret from everyone else until the big day arrived."
In plain English: To keep something hidden so that no one else knows about it.
"The company decided to keep the layoffs secret until Friday."
not open or public; kept private or not revealed
"a secret formula"
"secret ingredients"
"secret talks"
conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods
"clandestine intelligence operations"
"cloak-and-dagger activities behind enemy lines"
"hole-and-corner intrigue"
"secret missions"
"a secret agent"
"secret sales of arms"
"surreptitious mobilization of troops"
"an undercover investigation"
"underground resistance"
(of information) given in confidence or in secret
"this arrangement must be kept confidential"
"their secret communications"
the next to highest level of official classification for documents
"The intelligence analyst was ordered to keep the report at Secret clearance, ensuring it remained accessible only to senior officers and above."
Being or kept hidden.
"He kept his plans a secret until everyone else arrived for dinner."
In plain English: Something that is secret is meant to be kept hidden from other people.
"He shared his secret plan with only a few trusted friends."
The word "secret" comes from the Latin sēcrētum, which originally referred to something hidden or private. It entered Middle English as a direct borrowing, eventually replacing the earlier Old English term dēagolnes.