secretive Hear it!

secretive Definition

se·cre·tive (sē′krə tiv; occas., and for 2 always, si krēt′iv)

adjective

  1. tending to conceal one's thoughts, feelings, affairs, etc. from others; reticent; not frank or open
  2. secretory

Etymology: secret + -ive

secretive Related Forms
se′·cre·tively adverb se′·cre·tive·ness noun
secretive Synonyms

secretive

modif.

reticent, taciturn, tight-lipped, furtive, undercover, with bated breath, in private, in the dark, in chambers, by a side door, under the breath, in the background, between ourselves, in privacy, in a corner, under the cloak of, reserved.

secretive Usage Examples

Preposition: about

  • work: Learners preparing for exams are often quite secretive about the work they do.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • make: Was it actually an attempt to go underground - to make the project more secretive?

Modifies a noun

  • sect: The Waldensians remained a reclusive, secretive sect in Italy, taking an active role in the Reformation.
  • bird: Water rail Picture - Colin Bates A secretive bird which is never easy to see.
  • manner: Kirkby Times has featured many news items which show the secretive manner in which public funding is being spent here in Kirkby.
  • creature: These plants will also provide cover for more secretive creatures.
  • nature: The days of Knowsley Councils secretive nature is coming to an end.
  • specie: General Ecology: A secretive semi-aquatic species which was once widespread in Britain.

Modifying Another Word

  • notoriously: Secret in a bottle Notoriously secretive soft drinks giant Coca-Cola has finally let the press into the heart of its European R&D operation.
  • intensely: Intensely secretive about his past, he arrived in Hampstead at the end of the 1960s.
  • highly: They are a highly secretive group that has been linked to a number of violent racist attacks across the UK.
  • otherwise: Monitoring these calls enables researchers to count these otherwise secretive birds.
  • somewhat: The reason I'm being somewhat secretive about specific details is that I feel I'm sharing someone else's history with you.
  • extremely: Hitler has always been extremely secretive in all his dealings.

Used with adjective complement

  • become: You are likely to become secretive in many of your activities.
  • remain: Restoring trust in politics British politics remains far too secretive.
  • seem: We had done nothing wrong and yet the police and MAFF had seemed secretive, evasive and, in some ways, intimidating.