Japanese word

非公開

Pronunciation

Romajihikōkai

Meaning

  • nounprivate

Example

その会議は非公開です。so no kai gi wa hi kō kai de su

The meeting is private.

Illustration for 非公開 (private)

More examples

この資料は非公開として扱います。ko no shi ryō wa hi kō kai to shi te atsuka i ma su

We will treat this document as private.

Core concept

Indicates that access or knowledge is deliberately restricted to a defined group rather than offered to the public.

Common phrases

  • 非公開情報hi kō kai jō hō

    confidential information

  • 非公開にするhi kō kai ni su ru

    keep private

  • 非公開会議hi kō kai kai gi

    closed meeting

Similar words

非公表hikōhyō: Not announced or released for public knowledge.
秘密himitsu: Kept from people outside a defined group and not made generally known.
内密naimitsu: Kept within a limited group and not revealed to outsiders.

Definition in Japanese

内容や場所などを一般に開放せず、限られた人のみに知らせたり利用させたりすること。nai yō ya ba sho na do o ip pan ni kai hō se zu kagi ra re ta hito no mi ni shi ra se ta ri ri yō sa se ta ri su ru ko to

Word origin

The word 非公開 (hikōkai) joins 非 (hi, "not") with 公開 (kōkai, "making public"), giving it the sense of keeping something from public view.

Usage tips

  • Private in English can describe restricted access as well as personal matters, so a private meeting is not necessarily a secret meeting.

Other meanings

  • undisclosednoun
  • closed-doornoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 非公開化hikōkaikamaking privatenoun
  • 非公開性hikōkaiseiconfidentialitynoun

Word lists with this word