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secrecy Definition

se·crecy (sē′krə sē)

noun pl. -·cies

  1. the condition of being secret or concealed
  2. a tendency to keep things secret; practice or habit of being secretive

Etymology: altered < ME secretee < secre, secret < OFr secré < L secretus: see secret

secrecy Synonyms

secrecy

n.

concealment, confidence, hiding, seclusion, privacy, retirement, solitude, mystery, dark, darkness, isolation, reticence, stealth, surreptitiousness.

secrecy Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • ballot: There is no suggestion that any proposal to record the return of a postal vote would affect the secrecy of the ballot.
  • vote: Everyone is subject to a legal requirement to maintain the secrecy of the electors vote.

Converse of object

  • maintain: Everyone is subject to a legal requirement to maintain the secrecy of the electors vote.
  • preserve: Security, in the sense of preserving secrecy, took various forms.
  • impose: The British imposed strict secrecy of course on the Ultra production process.
  • govern: There are no specific statutory provisions governing secrecy in relation to companies.
  • protect: You and your colleagues must take care to protect the secrecy of your password for WebLearn.
  • ensure: The scheme provides a high degree of transparency whilst ensuring the secrecy of votes.

Adjective modifier

  • utmost: However, the need for utmost secrecy must be observed.
  • obsessive: I have been pleased to find there is not the obsessive secrecy I'd come to expect during my previous marriage.
  • absolute: For the next two years the group would develop the project in absolute secrecy, hiding behind their Atari 2600 joystick & games business.
  • excessive: The Bill fails on at least three major ways to herald the end to excessive government secrecy.
  • strict: The British imposed strict secrecy of course on the Ultra production process.
  • unnecessary: By getting rid of juries we could eliminate unnecessary secrecy.

Modifies a noun

  • clause: Clause 59 of the bill extends a secrecy clause in the Data Protection Act 1998 to the Information Commissioner.
  • law: The current secrecy laws are far too restrictive; they encourage abuse.
  • provision: We have to look at the existing secrecy provisions in our laws.

Noun used with modifier

  • banking: In the name of banking secrecy, the list of debtors is not available.
  • ballot: Ballot secrecy The Act of Parliament introducing the principle of the ' secret ballot ' was first introduced in 1872.
  • bank: The language on bank secrecy is blunt: " States shall not decline to act... on the ground of bank secrecy.