SECRETIVE Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'secretive' distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of secretive are reserved , reticent , silent , and taciturn . While all these words mean "showing restraint in speaking," 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

Q: When is it sensible to use 'reserved' instead of 'secretive'?

While in some cases nearly identical to secretive , reserved implies reticence and suggests the restraining influence of caution or formality in checking easy informal conversational exchange. // greetings were brief, formal, and reserved

Q: When can 'reticent' be used instead of 'secretive'?

The words reticent and secretive can be used in similar contexts, but reticent implies a reluctance to speak out or at length, especially about one's own affairs. // was reticent about his plans

Q: When could 'silent' be used to replace 'secretive'?

The meanings of silent and secretive largely overlap; however, silent implies a habit of saying no more than is needed. // the strong, silent type

Q: Where would 'taciturn' be a reasonable alternative to 'secretive'?

The synonyms taciturn and secretive are sometimes interchangeable, but taciturn implies a temperamental disinclination to speech and usually connotes unsociability. // taciturn villagers

secretive

adjective

ˈsē-krə-tiv

Definition of secretive next

as in silent

given to keeping one's activities hidden from public observation or knowledge the intelligence agency remained secretive despite the media's demands for more openness in government

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How is the word secretive distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of secretive are reserved, reticent, silent, and taciturn. While all these words mean "showing restraint in speaking," 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

When is it sensible to use reserved instead of secretive?

While in some cases nearly identical to secretive, reserved implies reticence and suggests the restraining influence of caution or formality in checking easy informal conversational exchange.

greetings were brief, formal, and reserved

When can reticent be used instead of secretive?

The words reticent and secretive can be used in similar contexts, but reticent implies a reluctance to speak out or at length, especially about one's own affairs.

was reticent about his plans

When could silent be used to replace secretive?

The meanings of silent and secretive largely overlap; however, silent implies a habit of saying no more than is needed.

the strong, silent type

Where would taciturn be a reasonable alternative to secretive?

The synonyms taciturn and secretive are sometimes interchangeable, but taciturn implies a temperamental disinclination to speech and usually connotes unsociability.

taciturn villagers

Examples Sentences

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Recent Examples of secretive Its sprawling, secretive bureaucracy does not lend itself to White House micromanaging, particularly given that Trump is not known for focus and persistence. —

Peter Schroeder, Foreign Affairs, 17 Jan. 2025 Remember, there are no quick fixes or secretive workarounds. —

Zak Doffman, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025 And the skipper was proving to be strangely possessive, almost secretive, about things like radio reports, incoming messages and navigational details, going so far as to keep everything jotted on a notebook in his pocket. —

David Wolman, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025 Turner’s allies on the Christian far right also include Ziklag, a secretive network of ultrawealthy Christian families and religious influencers that support Trump. —

Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for secretive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for secretive

Adjective

In the Broadway musical Sunset Boulevard silent screen star Norma Desmond returns to the Paramount lot after twenty years living under the radar in her crumbling mansion.

— Jeryl Brunner, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
The skies in Gaza went silent for the first time in months with no Israeli airstrikes.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 20 Jan. 2025