secret

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈsiː.kɹɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #657

Meanings

1

adj
known to only a few people and kept hidden from others

They met in a secret location outside town.
2

noun
a piece of information that is kept hidden from others

Can you keep a secret?
3

noun
the key or method that explains how something is done well

The secret to a good cake is fresh ingredients.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · known to only a few people... private

More dern

Opposites

overt

Word family

Forms secrets

Derived forms nonsecretpseudosecretsecret-sacredsecretesecretistsecretive secretlysecretmongersecretnesssemisecretsupersecretsubsecretsupersecret

Related forms secrete secretion

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

secret agent
a spy or intelligence operative who works covertly for a government or organisation

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (4)

See all

Simplified etymology

Secret goes back to Latin secretus, meaning “separate” or “set apart.” Related secretary originally meant a person entrusted with a secret, from late Latin secretarius, “confidential officer.” The verb secrete meaning “hide” shares this source, while secrete meaning “produce and discharge” developed through secretion from Latin secretio, “separation.”

Etymology

From Middle English secrette, from Old French secret, from Latin sēcrētus (“separated, hidden”), from ptp of sēcernō (“separate, to set aside, sunder out”), from cernō, from Proto-Indo-European *krey-. Displaced Old English dēagol (“secret”).

secrette Middle English secret Old French sēcrētus Latin *krey- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# secret

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈsiː.kɹɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 657

## Meanings
1. known to only a few people and kept hidden from others
2. a piece of information that is kept hidden from others
3. the key or method that explains how something is done well

## Examples
- They met in a secret location outside town.
- Can you keep a secret?
- The secret to a good cake is fresh ingredients.

## Synonyms
- dern

## Antonyms
- overt

## Derived Forms
- nonsecret
- pseudosecret
- secret-sacred
- secrete
- secretist
- secretive
- secretly
- secretmonger
- secretness
- semisecretsupersecret
- subsecret
- supersecret

## Related Forms
- secrete
- secretion

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: secrette
- Root: secret
- Root: sēcrētus
- Root: *krey-

## Etymology
From Middle English secrette, from Old French secret, from Latin sēcrētus (“separated, hidden”), from ptp of sēcernō (“separate, to set aside, sunder out”), from cernō, from Proto-Indo-European *krey-. Displaced Old English dēagol (“secret”).

## AI Etymology
Secret is from Middle English secrette, from Old French secret, from Latin sēcrētus (“separated, hidden”), from ptp of sēcernō (“separate, to set aside, sunder out”), from cernō, from Proto-Indo-European *krey-. Displaced Old English dēagol (“secret”). Important forms in the word's history include Middle English secrette, Old French secret, Latin sēcrētus, Proto-Indo-European *krey-. In current use it includes senses such as known to only a few people and kept hidden from others and a piece of information that is kept hidden from others.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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