1. Concealed or hidden on any grounds for any motive.
2. Not accessible to view; SYN. hidden, out of sight.
ETYM Old Fren. covert, French couvert, p. p. of couvrir. Related to Cover.
1. Secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed.
2. (Law) Of a wife; under the protection of her husband.
1. Designed to elude detection; SYN. secret.
2. Difficult to find; SYN. obscure.
ETYM Pref. in- not + direct: cf. French indirect.
1. Not as a direct effect or consequence.
2. Having intervening factors or persons or influences.
3. Not direct in spatial dimension; not leading by a straight line or course to a destination.
4. Extended senses: not direct in manner or language or behavior or action.
ETYM Latin reconditus, p. p. of recondere to put up again, to lay up, to conceal; pref. re- re- + condere to bring or lay together. Related to Abscond.
1. Hidden from the mental or intellectual view; secret; abstruse.
2. Dealing in things abstruse; profound; searching.
Out of the way; little known.
Concealed; abstruse; erudite.
ETYM French secret (cf. Spanish and Portu. secreto, Italian secreto, segreto), from Latin secretus, p. p. of secernere to put apart, to separate. Related to Certain, Secrete, Secern.
1. Communicated covertly.
2. Not expressed; SYN. private.
3. Not open or public; kept private or not revealed.
4. The next to highest level of official classification for documents (before).