secret

Universal Words adjective, noun adjective 1 ~ (from sb) known about by only a few people; kept hidden from others: secret information / meetings / talks * He tried to keep it secret from his family. * Details of the proposals remain secret. * a secret passage leading to the beach seealsoTOPSECRET 2 [onlybeforenoun] used to describe actions and behaviour that you do not tell other people about: He's a secret drinker. * I didn't know you were a secret football fan. * her secret hopes / fears * a secret room 3 [notusuallybeforenoun] ~ (about sth) (of a person or their behaviour) liking to have secrets that other people do not know about; showing this SYNSECRETIVE: They were so secret about everything. * Jessica caught a secret smile flitting between the two of them. secretly adverb: The police had secretly filmed the conversations. * She was secretly pleased to see him. noun 1 [C] something that is known about by only a few people and not told to others: Can you keep a secret? * The location of the ship is a closely-guarded secret. * Shall we let him in on (= tell him) the secret? * He made no secret of his ambition (= he didn't try to hide it). * She was dismissed for revealing trade secrets. * official / State secrets * dark secrets from his past 2 (usually the secret) [sing.] the best or only way to achieve sth; the way a particular person achieves sth: Careful planning is the secret of success. * She still looks so young. What's her secret? 3 [C,usually pl.] a thing that is not yet fully understood or that is difficult to understand: the secrets of life / the universe IDIOMS in secret without other people knowing about it: The meeting was held in secret. * She admired him, in secret of course. moreatOPENadj.