Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
The state or characteristic of being secretive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
the trait of keeping things secret
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: secrecy, silence
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: uncommunicativeness
Narrower terms: mum
noun
characterized by a lack of openness (especially about one's actions or purposes)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: closeness
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: unsociability, unsociableness
Narrower terms: furtiveness, sneakiness, stealthiness
History
Etymology tree English secretive Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English secretiveness From secretive + -ness.
Across languages
8 source translations are retained for this English entry.
