Secrecy
/ˈsiː.krə.si/noun
The condition of being kept hidden or concealed from others.
Did you know?The root behind secrecy also produced words connected with judging and separating—including “crisis,” “critic,” and “discrete,” all tracing back to an ancient idea of distinguishing one thing from another.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*krei-
“To separate, sift, distinguish, or decide”
Ancient Greek
Greek
krinein
“To separate, judge, or decide; the source of English “crisis” and “critic””
Classical Latin
Latin
cernere
“To sift, distinguish, or discern”
Classical Latin
Latin
secretus
“Separated, set apart, hidden; the past participle of secernere, “to separate””
Medieval French
Old French
secret
“Hidden, concealed, or private”
14th Century
Middle English
secrecie
“The condition of keeping something secret”
Modern English
English
secrecy
“The state of being concealed or kept private”