- 1[countable] 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
- 2the secret [singular] the best or only way to achieve something; the way a particular person achieves something Careful planning is the secret of success. She still looks so young. What's her secret?
- 3[countable, usually plural] a thing that is not yet fully understood or that is difficult to understand the secrets of the universe Idioms
a secret that someone feels ashamed about
without other people knowing about it The meeting was held in secret. She admired him, in secret of course.
if something is an open secret, many people know about it, although it is supposed to be a secret
Check pronunciation: secret