Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

secret

2 noun
     
secret2 S3 W3 [countable]
1 something that is kept hidden or that is known about by only a few people [↪ secrecy]COLLOCATIONS COLLOCATIONS
it's a secret tell somebody a secret/let somebody in on a secret also reveal a secret formal keep a secret (=not tell someone about something) your secret is safe with me (=I will not tell anyone about it) big secret (=an important secret, or something that is known by very few people) little secret (=a secret that is not very important) be a closely-guarded/well-kept secret (=a secret that very few people know about) state/official secret trade secret dark secret (=a secret about something bad) somebody's innermost secrets (=someone's most personal secrets) it's no secret (that) (=everyone knows about this) it's an open secret (that) (=most people know about this, although you might expect it to be a secret)
I can't tell you. It's a secret.
She wanted to tell everybody her secret.
Can you keep a secret?
Why is all this such a big secret?
The location for the wedding is a closely-guarded secret.
He was accused of passing state secrets to a foreign power.
I kept this dark secret for 15 years.
She shared her innermost secrets with him.
It was no secret that the two men hated each other.
It's an open secret that he wants Derek's job.
2

in secret

in a private way or place that other people do not know about:
The negotiations were conducted in secret.
3

the secret

a particular way of achieving a good result, that is the best or only way
the secret to (doing) something
The secret to making good pastry is to use very cold water.
Your hair always looks so great - what's your secret?
What do you think is the secret of her success?
4

make no secret of something

to make your opinions about something clear:
Louise made no secret of her dislike for John.
5

the secrets of life/nature/the universe etc

the things no one yet knows about nature etc
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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