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

Though her identity is not at first known to Benedict, the woman turns out to be Sophie Baek, a secretive maid with big dreams. —Claire Franken, TVLine, 14 Feb. 2025

North Korea has sent munitions, missiles and fighters to Russia, raising speculation that the Kremlin has agreed to share weapons technology with the secretive nation as well as economic aid. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 9 Feb. 2025

Walt Disney: The First Imagineer Feb. 21 Former Imagineer Tom Morris will recount the birth in 1952 of WED Enterprises — the precursor to Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive creative laboratory where theme park designers create Disney’s fantasy worlds and attractions. —Brady MacDonald, Orange County Register, 6 Feb. 2025

For the first time in more than five years, foreign tourists can visit North Korea, albeit to the city of Rason, one of the secretive communist state's least visited places. —Astha Rajvanshi, NBC News, 4 Feb. 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