51Թ

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View synonyms for

secretive

1

[see-kri-tiv, si-kree-]

adjective

  1. having or showing a disposition to secrecy; reticent.

    He seems secretive about his new job.

    Synonyms: ,


secretive

2

[si-kree-tiv]

adjective

  1. secretory.

secretive

/ ˈsiːkrɪtɪv, sɪˈkriːtɪv /

adjective

  1. inclined to secrecy; reticent

  2. another word for secretory

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • secretively adverb
  • secretiveness noun
  • ˈ𳦰پԱ noun
  • ˈ𳦰پ adverb
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of secretive1

1425–75; late Middle English; back formation from secretiveness (itself modeled on French 𳦰éپé ). See secret, -ive
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Somewhere in the middle — both geographically and figuratively — is Kate, all smiles about her life in Austin, Texas, and very secretive about her politics.

From

The new bronze-coloured, fibreglass effigy by a secretive sculptor appeared on one of the concrete plinths welcoming visitors to the village on Friday morning.

From

"We don't talk to each other about this anymore, unless we're really close, and even then we're much more secretive," she admits.

From

Satellite images have for the first time shown the extent of a shipyard accident in North Korea that damaged a new warship in the presence of the secretive state's leader, Kim Jong Un.

From

“The Last of Us” “There’s nothing smarter than ‘Severance,’ a dystopian thriller where employees of the secretive Lumon Industries undergo a surgical procedure that mentally severs their work memories from their personal life.

From

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When To Use

What doessecretive mean?

Secretive is commonly used to describe people or organizations that are prone to secrecy—they avoid revealing information about themselves and try to keep their actions private. The word secretive can also be used to describe such actions.People who are secretive often don’t let other people get to know them very well, often by keeping secrets about their life. They may do this because they have something to hide or because they don’t trust other people.Organizations described as secretive are often those that hide details about their operations. A secretive company may be one that closely guards information about its product development or financial situation.Animals described as secretive are those that tend to stay hidden.Describing things or people as secretive often implies that you are suspicious of them because it seems like they are hiding something.An unrelated and less common meaning of secretive is based not on secret but on the verb secrete. This sense of secretive means involving the process of secretion—the production and release of substances from specialized cells within an organism, such as glands. For example, the pancreas can be described as secretive in this way because it secretes digestive fluid and insulin. Another word for this is secretory.Example: I always ask Sylvie about her weekend plans, but she’s so secretive that she only smiles furtively and walks away.

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secretionsecretly