Secretive Meaning
/ˈsiːkɹɪtɪv/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjHaving an inclination to secrecy.
adjRelating to secretion.
Sentence Examples
Roy is secretive and Ted is candid.
Why are you being so secretive?
He is very secretive in regard to his family life.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ agent never revealed his true identity to anyone during the mission.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He was notoriously ____ about his personal life and rarely spoke about his family.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English secretife, equivalent to secret + -ive.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Sitting back on a bench in the sunshine, Tom and I began to catch up with each other while the girls arranged their surprises at the remotest picnic table in the lay-by. Genial lorry drivers, munching wurst high in their cabs, looking down on their secretive toing and froing with interest."
— 1987, Christina Hardyment, “Picking up Gold and Silver”, in Heidi’s Alp: One Family’s Search for Storybook Europe, Book Club edition, New York, N.Y.: The Atlantic Monthly Press, →OCLC, page 100:
"Donald Trump has lashed out against his own supporters, calling them gullible “weaklings” for questioning the transparency of a secretive government inquiry into the late high-profile socialite and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein."
— 2025 July 17, Oliver Holmes, “Trump calls Epstein conspiracy a ‘hoax’ and turns on Maga ‘weaklings’”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 10 Aug 2025:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ agent never revealed his true identity to anyone during the mission.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
He was notoriously ____ about his personal life and rarely spoke about his family.