Chinese word

机密

Pronunciation

Pinyinjī mì

Meaning

  • nounconfidential information

Example

这些文件都是机密，要锁好。zhè xiē wén jiàn dōu shì jī mì yào suó hǎo

These files are all confidential and need to be locked up.

Illustration for 机密 (confidential information)

More examples

这些档案已归入机密档案库，只有授权人员可查阅。zhè xiē dàng àn yǐ guī rù jī mì dàng àn kù zhí yǒu shòu quán rén yuán kě chá yuè

These files have been placed in the confidential file archive, and only authorized personnel can access them.

Core concept

Important information kept behind restricted access, with disclosure limited to authorized people.

Common phrases

  • 严守机密yán shǒu jī mì

    strictly safeguard confidential information

  • 机密档案jī mì dàng àn

    confidential files

  • 归入机密guī rù jī mì

    classify as confidential

Similar words

秘密mì mì: Something kept hidden because it is not meant to be known by others.
隐私yǐn sī: Private details about a person's life that should not be shared without permission.
绝密jué mì: Information under the strictest secrecy rules, with access limited to a very few authorized people.

Definition in Chinese

特别需要保密、不应向未经授权者公开的重大信息或档案。tè bié xū yào bǎo mì bù yīng xiàng wèi jīng shòu quán zhě gōng kāi de zhòng dà xìn xī huò dàng àn

Word origin

机 (jī, "critical matter") combines with 密 (mì, "secret") in 机密 (jīmì, "confidential information"), giving the idea of important information kept hidden.

Usage tips

  • On a workplace or government document, this word signals formal control over the information, so it can sound overly serious for a small social secret.

Other meanings

  • top secretadjective

Opposites

  • 公开性gōng kāi xìngpublic availabilitynoun
  • 开放性kāi fàng xìngopennessnoun

Related words

  • 机密性jī mì xìngconfidentialitynoun
  • 密级mì jísecurity classification levelnoun

Word lists with this word