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   secret

   /ˈsiːkrɪt/

   adjective

   • 1. not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others: "how did you guess I'd got a secret plan?" Similar confidentialstrictly confidentialtop secretclassifiedrestrictedunrevealedundisclosedunpublisheduntoldunknownuncommunicatedbehind someone's backunder wrapsunofficialoff the recordnot for publication/circulationnot to be made publicnot to be disclosedsub rosainformal:hush-hushmumhiddenconcealedcamouflageddisguisedunnoticeableinvisibleinconspicuousclandestinecovertundercoverundergroundhiddenshroudedconspiratorialsurreptitiousstealthycloak-and-daggerhole-and-cornerclosetsneakyslyunderhandshiftyfurtiveblackinformal:hush-hushcrypticencodedcodedencipheredhiddenmysteriousabstrusereconditearcaneesotericcabbalisticsecludedprivateconcealedhiddenshelteredundisturbedunfrequentedsolitarylonelysequesteredout of the wayremoteisolatedoff the beaten tracktucked awaycut-offOpposite knownpublicvisibleovertopenknown aboutpublic
   • ▪ not meant to be known as such by others: "a secret drinker" Similar clandestinecovertundercoverundergroundhiddenshroudedconspiratorialsurreptitiousstealthycloak-and-daggerhole-and-cornerclosetsneakyslyunderhandshiftyfurtiveblackinformal:hush-hushOpposite overt
   • ▪ fond of or good at keeping things about oneself unknown: "he can be the most secret man" Similar uncommunicativesecretiveunforthcomingreticentprivatemedia-shytaciturnsilentnon-communicativequiettight-lippedclose-mouthedcloseplaying one's cards close to one's chestclamlikereservedintrovertintrovertedself-containeddiscreetOpposite opencommunicativechatty

   noun

   • 1. something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others: "a state secret" Similar confidential matterconfidenceprivate affairskeleton in the cupboardskeleton in the closetOpposite public knowledge
   • ▪ something that is not properly understood; a mystery: "I'm not trying to explain the secrets of the universe in this book" Similar mysteryenigmaproblemparadoxpuzzleconundrumposerriddlequestionquestion markOpposite known fact
   • ▪ a valid but not commonly known or recognized method of achieving or maintaining something: "the secret of a happy marriage is compromise" Similar recipeformulablueprintmagic formulakeyanswersolution
   • ▪ a prayer said by the priest in a low voice after the offertory in a Roman Catholic Mass.

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin secretus (adjective) ‘separate, set apart’, from the verb secernere, from se- ‘apart’ + cernere ‘sift’.

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • S

     1

   • E

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   • C

     3

   • R

     1

   • E

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   • T

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