secretive

adjective

se·​cre·​tive ˈsē-krə-tiv 

si-ˈkrē-

: disposed to secrecy : not open or outgoing in speech, activity, or purposes

secretively adverb

secretiveness noun

Synonyms

• close
• closemouthed
• dark
• reticent
• tight-mouthed
• uncommunicative

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

Thrun also created the now-defunct aviation company Kittyhawk, and currently manages Schmidt’s secretive military drone startup, Project Eagle, which Forbes first revealed last year. —Sarah Emerson, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025

Marty Thomas, the video's props assistant, recalled the secretive atmosphere around the shoot. —Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025

That's according to a new analysis, described in the journal Science Advances, that looked at DNA from one of these secretive critters. —Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 2 Jan. 2025

But working in the secretive organization of Night Action will propel Peter into a world where danger is everywhere and trust is in short supply. —Abid Rahman, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from secretiveness, partial translation of French secrétivité

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

secretive

adjective

se·​cre·​tive ˈsē-krət-iv 

si-ˈkrēt-

: having a tendency toward secrecy and concealment : not frank or open

secretively adverb

secretiveness noun