Secrecy Hides; Privacy Chooses
Secrecy is the practice of keeping information hidden. It differs from privacy, and the difference is often the whole argument.
Secrecy is the deliberate concealment of information. It is not the same as privacy: privacy is control over who sees your own information, while secrecy is withholding information others might have a claim to. Institutions defending themselves usually say privacy; their critics usually say secrecy.
- Deliberate concealment. *A culture of secrecy.*
- The state of being secret. *Sworn to secrecy.*
- Official secrecy. *Official secrets legislation.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | secrecy | Total secrecy. |
| Noun | secret | A well-kept secret. |
| Adjective | secretive | A secretive organisation. |
| Adverb | secretly | Met secretly. |
| Related | confidential | A confidential file. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The talks were held in complete secrecy.Uncountable.
- Staff were sworn to secrecy.A binding undertaking.
- A secretive manner invites suspicion.Secretive describes the person.
Levels of not telling
- Privacy — your control over your own information
- Confidentiality — a duty owed over someone else's information
- Secrecy — active concealment
- Classification — official grading of sensitive material
- Transparency — the opposite, and the usual demand
From Latin *secretus*, set apart or hidden, from *secernere*, to separate, from *se-*, apart, and *cernere*, to sift — the same root as *discern* and *concern*.
Secrecy or privacy?
Privacy protects information that is yours. Secrecy withholds information others may be entitled to. The words are often swapped deliberately.
Secret or secretive?
A secret is the thing hidden. Secretive describes a person or organisation inclined to hide things.