Conceal Meaning
/kənˈsiːl/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo hide something from view or from public knowledge, to try to keep something secret.
Sentence Examples
We can normally conceal our thoughts from others.
Mrs. Thompson wants to conceal the fact that she is a millionaire.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The spy tried to ____ the secret documents inside a hollow book.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She tried to ____ her true feelings from her family today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English concelen, from Old French conceler (“hide, disguise”), from Latin concēlō, concēlāre (“carefully disguise”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers, of errand not wholly obvious to their fellows, yet of such sort as to call into query alike the nature of their errand and their own relations. It is easily earned repetition to state that Josephine St. Auban's was a presence not to be concealed."
— 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter II, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
"Utah has allowed for permitless open and concealed carry of weapons since 2021. But before the passage of HB 128, firearms had to be concealed when carried on college campuses."
— 2025 September 14, Abené Clayton, “Utah campus open carry law under fresh scrutiny after Charlie Kirk shooting”, in The Guardian:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The spy tried to ____ the secret documents inside a hollow book.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She tried to ____ her true feelings from her family today.