Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: Latin secretus, past participle of secernere 'to separate'

secret

1 adjective
     
se‧cret1 S3 W3
1 known about by only a few people and kept hidden from others [↪ secrecy]:
They kept their relationship secret from their parents.
agents on a secret mission
secret talks with the terrorists
secret compartment/passage etc
The drugs were found in a secret compartment in Campbell's suitcase.
secret ingredient/recipe/formula
The cookies are made to a secret recipe.
2 [only before noun] secret feelings, worries, or actions are ones that you do not want other people to know about:
His secret fear was that Jenny would leave him.
Did you know you had a secret admirer (=someone who is secretly in love with you)?
3

secret weapon

something that will help you gain a big advantage over your competitors, that they do not know about
4 used to describe the behaviour of someone who is keeping their thoughts, intentions, or actions hidden from other people [= secretive]
secret about
They're being very secret about it.
There was a secret smile on her face.
—secretly adverb:
They were secretly married.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
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