secretive

From Middle English secretife, equivalent to secret +‎ -ive.

• IPA^(key): /ˈsiːkɹɪtɪv/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /ˈsiːkɹətɪv/

secretive (comparative more secretive, superlative most secretive)

1. Having an inclination to secrecy.

   She's a secretive girl, not giving away much about her life.

   Why are you acting all secretive? What are you hiding?

   • 1987, Christina Hardyment, “Picking up Gold and Silver”, in Heidi’s Alp: One Family’s Search for Storybook Europe, Book Club edition, New York, N.Y.: The Atlantic Monthly Press, →OCLC, page 100:

     Sitting back on a bench in the sunshine, Tom and I began to catch up with each other while the girls arranged their surprises at the remotest picnic table in the lay-by. Genial lorry drivers, munching wurst high in their cabs, looking down on their secretive toing and froing with interest.

• furtive
• sly
• See also Thesaurus:covert

• secretively

• IPA^(key): /səˈkɹiːtɪv/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

secretive (not comparable)

1. Relating to secretion

• receivest, resective

secretive

1. feminine plural of secretivo

• escretive, riceveste