secretive

  • 1Secretive — Se*cret ive, a. Tending to secrete, or to keep secret or private; as, a secretive disposition. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2secretive — index clandestine, evasive, furtive, laconic, mysterious, noncommittal, oblique (evasive), sly …

    Law dictionary

  • 3secretive — (adj.) inclined to secrecy, 1815 (implied in secretiveness); see SECRET (Cf. secret) + IVE (Cf. ive). Related: Secretively …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4secretive — close, close lipped, closemouthed, tight lipped, *silent, uncommunicative, taciturn, reticent, reserved Analogous words: *cautious, circumspect, wary: restrained, inhibited (see RESTRAIN) Contrasted words: *talkative, loquacious, garrulous,… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 5secretive — [adj] uncommunicative backstairs*, buttoned up*, cagey, clammed up*, close, close mouthed*, covert, cryptic, enigmatic, feline, furtive, hushed, in chambers*, in privacy*, in private, in the background*, in the dark*, on the QT*, reserved,… …

    New thesaurus

  • 6secretive — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ inclined to conceal feelings and intentions or not to disclose information. DERIVATIVES secretively adverb secretiveness noun …

    English terms dictionary

  • 7secretive — [sē′krə tiv; ] occas., and for 2 always [, si krēt′iv] adj. [ SECRET + IVE] 1. tending to conceal one s thoughts, feelings, affairs, etc. from others; reticent; not frank or open 2. SECRETORY secretively adv. secretiveness n …

    English World dictionary

  • 8secretive — adj. secretive about (secretive about one s plans) * * * secretive about (secretive about one s plans) …

    Combinatory dictionary

  • 9secretive — se|cre|tive [ˈsi:krıtıv, sıˈkri:tıv] adj a secretive person or organization likes to keep their thoughts, intentions, or actions hidden from others ▪ The government has been accused of being secretive and undemocratic. secretive about ▪ Carla was …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 10secretive — [[t]si͟ːkrətɪv, sɪkri͟ːt [/t]] ADJ GRADED: oft ADJ about n If you are secretive, you like to have secrets and to keep your knowledge, feelings, or intentions hidden. Billionaires are usually fairly secretive about the exact amount that they re… …

    English dictionary