French word

secret

Pronunciation

IPA/səkʁɛ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounsecret

Example

Garde le secret, s'il te plaît.

Please keep the secret.

Illustration for secret (secret)

More examples

Son secret a finalement été révélé.

His secret was finally revealed.

Core concept

A locked box holding information kept apart from public knowledge.

Common phrases

  • garder un secret

    keep a secret

  • confier un secret

    confide a secret

  • révéler un secret

    reveal a secret

Similar words

intimité: Private emotions and aspects of life shown only to people with whom one is close.
vie privée: A person's private life, including everyday events away from public attention.

Definition in French

Information que l'on garde cachée et que l'on ne veut pas révéler, souvent connue seulement de quelques personnes.

Word origin

French secret comes through Old French from Latin secretus, meaning 'set apart' or 'hidden', the past participle of secernere, 'to separate'.

Usage tips

  • Secret is masculine, so its usual forms are un secret and le secret rather than feminine articles.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word