Private vs. Secret: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Private refers to something personal or not for public knowledge, while secret implies deliberately kept hidden from knowledge or view.
Key Differences
Private often describes something belonging to a person's personal life, not intended for public display or attention. In contrast, secret goes a step further, implying that the information or matter is intentionally kept hidden or concealed.
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Nov 29, 2023
Private can refer to matters like personal thoughts, spaces, or affairs that are not publicly disclosed by default. Secret implies an active effort to keep something unknown or unseen, often for specific reasons like confidentiality or sensitivity.
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Privacy can be a matter of personal choice or preference, allowing some degree of shared access or knowledge. Secrets, however, typically involve stricter control and a conscious decision to withhold information from others.
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Information that is private might still be accessible to certain people, like family or close friends. Secret information, on the other hand, is usually disclosed only to a select few, often with expectations of confidentiality.
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The concept of private respects an individual's right to personal space and autonomy. Conversely, keeping a secret often implies a higher level of discretion and the potential for greater consequences if revealed.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Pertaining to personal life, not public
Intentionally kept hidden or concealed
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Reason for Status
Personal choice, respect for autonomy
Confidentiality, sensitivity
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Access by Others
Accessible to a chosen few
Highly restricted, often confidential
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Private and Secret Definitions
Private
Private refers to something not open to the public.
The meeting was held in a private room.
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Secret
Secret refers to information meant to be hidden.
He whispered a secret into his friend's ear.
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Private
Private also describes isolated or secluded areas.
They vacationed at a private beach.
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Secret
Secret implies something undisclosed or unknown.
The existence of the treasure was a secret.
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Private
Private denotes personal ownership.
She drove her private car to work.
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Secret
Kept hidden from knowledge or view; concealed
A secret identity.
A secret passageway.
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Private
Secluded from the sight, presence, or intrusion of others
A private hideaway.
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Secret
Given to keeping one's thoughts and activities unknown to others; secretive
"Scrooge ... was secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster" (Charles Dickens).
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Private
Of or confined to the individual; personal
A private joke.
Private opinions.
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Secret
Not revealing a secret or not given to revealing secrets
"She boasted ... that he did tell her. But he didn't. He was secret as the grave" (Ruth Prawer Jhabvala).
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Secret
Operating in a hidden or confidential manner
A secret commission.
A secret agent.
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Private
Of, relating to, or receiving special hospital services and privileges
A private patient.
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Secret
Containing information, the unauthorized disclosure of which poses a grave threat to national security.
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Private
Not available for public use, control, or participation
A private club.
A private party.
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Private
Belonging to a particular person or persons, as opposed to the public or the government
Private property.
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Private
Of, relating to, or derived from nongovernment sources
Private funding.
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Secret
Beyond ordinary understanding; mysterious
"like Pan, calling out with his flute to come join in on the secret chaos of the world" (Rick Bass).
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Private
Conducted and supported primarily by individuals or groups not affiliated with governmental agencies or corporations
A private college.
A private sanatorium.
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Secret
Something that is kept out of the knowledge or sight of others or is known only to oneself or a few
Wanted to have no secrets between them.
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Secret
Something that remains beyond understanding or explanation; a mystery
Unlocking the secrets of the atom.
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Private
Capitalized in shares of stock that are held by a relatively small number of owners and are not traded on the open market
A private company.
A company that went private.
Took a company private.
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Secret
A method or formula for doing or making something well, especially when not widely known
The secret of this dish is in the sauce.
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Secret
Secret A variable prayer said after the Offertory and before the Preface in the Mass.
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Private
Not for public knowledge or disclosure; secret
Private papers.
A private communication.
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Secret
(countable) A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden.
"Can you keep a secret?" "Yes." "So can I."
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Private
Not appropriate for use or display in public; intimate
Private behavior.
A private tragedy.
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Secret
The key or principle by which something is made clear; the knack.
The secret to a long-lasting marriage is compromise.
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Private
A noncommissioned rank in the US Army or Marine Corps that is below private first class.
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Secret
(uncountable) Private seclusion.
The work was done in secret, so that nobody could object.
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Private
One who holds this rank or a similar rank in another military organization.
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Private
Belonging to, concerning, or accessible only to an individual person or a specific group.
Her address is private; you can't have it.
Private papers
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Secret
Any prayer spoken inaudibly and not aloud; especially, one of the prayers in the Mass, immediately following the "orate, fratres", said inaudibly by the celebrant.
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Private
Not in governmental office or employment.
He quit public life, living quietly as a private citizen.
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Secret
(obsolete) Withdrawn from general intercourse or notice; in retirement or secrecy; secluded.
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Private
Not publicly known; not open; secret.
The identity of the beneficiaries of the trust is private.
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Secret
(obsolete) Faithful to a secret; not inclined to divulge or betray confidence; secretive, separate, apart.
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Private
Protected from view or disturbance by others; secluded.
Can we go somewhere more private?
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Secret
(transitive) To hide secretly.
He was so scared for his safety he secreted arms around the house.
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Secret
Hidden; concealed; as, secret treasure; secret plans; a secret vow.
The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us.
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Private
Accessible only to the class itself or instances of it, and not to other classes or even subclasses.
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Secret
Withdrawn from general intercourse or notice; in retirement or secrecy; secluded.
There, secret in her sapphire cell,He with the Naïs wont to dwell.
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Secret
Faithful to a secret; not inclined to divulge or betray confidence; secretive.
Secret Romans, that have spoke the word,And will not palter.
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Private
A doctor working in privately rather than publicly funded health care.
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Secret
Separate; distinct.
They suppose two other divine hypostases superior thereunto, which were perfectly secret from matter.
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Secret
Something studiously concealed; a thing kept from general knowledge; what is not revealed, or not to be revealed.
To tell our own secrets is often folly; to communicate those of others is treachery.
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Secret
A thing not discovered; what is unknown or unexplained; a mystery.
All secrets of the deep, all nature's works.
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Secret
The parts which modesty and propriety require to be concealed; the genital organs.
Bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
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Secret
Something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on);
The combination to the safe was a secret
He tried to keep his drinking a secret
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Private
A private lesson.
If you want to learn ballet, consider taking privates.
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Secret
Information known only to a special group;
The secret of Cajun cooking
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Private
To make something hidden from the public (without deleting it permanently).
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Secret
Something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained;
How it got out is a mystery
It remains one of nature's secrets
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Private
Belonging to, or concerning, an individual person, company, or interest; peculiar to one's self; unconnected with others; personal; one's own; not public; not general; separate; as, a man's private opinion; private property; a private purse; private expenses or interests; a private secretary.
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Secret
Not open or public; kept private or not revealed;
A secret formula
Secret ingredients
Secret talks
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Private
Sequestered from company or observation; appropriated to an individual; secret; secluded; lonely; solitary; as, a private room or apartment; private prayer.
Reason . . . then retiresInto her private cell when nature rests.
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Secret
Conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods;
Clandestine intelligence operations
Cloak-and-dagger activities behind enemy lines
Hole-and-corner intrigue
Secret missions
A secret agent
Secret sales of arms
Surreptitious mobilization of troops
An undercover investigation
Underground resistance
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Private
Not invested with, or engaged in, public office or employment; as, a private citizen; private life.
A private person may arrest a felon.
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Private
Not publicly known; not open; secret; as, a private negotiation; a private understanding.
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Secret
Communicated covertly;
Their a secret signal was a wink
Secret messages
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Secret
Designed to elude detection;
A hidden room or place of concealment such as a priest hole
A secret passage
The secret compartment in the desk
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Private
Personal interest; particular business.
Nor must I be unmindful of my private.
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Secret
Hidden from general view or use;
A privy place to rest and think
A secluded romantic spot
A secret garden
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Secret
(of information) given in confidence or in secret;
Closet information
This arrangement must be kept confidential
Their secret communications
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Private
One not invested with a public office.
What have kings, that privates have not too?
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Private
A common soldier; a soldier below the grade of a noncommissioned officer.
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Secret
Having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding;
Mysterious symbols
The mystical style of Blake
Occult lore
The secret learning of the ancients
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Private
An enlisted man of the lowest rank;
Our prisoner was just a private and knew nothing of value
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Secret
Secret means deliberately kept from the knowledge of others.
The recipe for the sauce is a family secret.
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Private
Confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy;
A private place
Private discussions
Private lessons
A private club
A private secretary
Private property
The former President is now a private citizen
Public figures struggle to maintain a private life
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Secret
Secret can imply a sense of mystery or confidentiality.
The agent worked on a secret mission.
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Private
Concerning things deeply private and personal;
Private correspondence
Private family matters
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Secret
Secret denotes something not to be disclosed.
The documents contained secret information.
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Private
Concerning one person exclusively;
We all have individual cars
Each room has a private bath
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Private
Private means belonging to an individual's personal life.
He kept his diary in a private drawer.
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Private
Private can mean confidential in a non-secretive sense.
The doctor kept the patient's records private.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Are secrets always important?
They can be, but not all secrets are of significant consequence.
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Can private information become public?
Yes, if privacy is breached or consent is given for disclosure.
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Can a secret be shared with trusted individuals?
Yes, but usually with an expectation of confidentiality.
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Is a private space legally protected?
Generally, yes, through privacy laws and property rights.
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Can something be private but not secret?
Yes, private matters can be known but not openly discussed.
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Is a secret always intentionally hidden?
Yes, secrets are deliberately kept from others.
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Can secrets have negative effects?
Yes, especially if they involve harmful or unethical information.
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Is keeping something private a basic right?
Yes, privacy is generally considered a fundamental right.
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Does private always mean confidential?
Not necessarily, it can simply mean not public.
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Are all secrets eventually revealed?
Not necessarily, some remain undisclosed indefinitely.
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Is privacy a concern in the digital age?
Yes, digital privacy is a major contemporary issue.
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Can a private matter be of public interest?
Yes, especially if it involves public figures or societal issues.
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Are all personal details considered private?
Generally, but context and consent can affect this.
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Can companies have private policies?
Yes, companies often have private internal policies.
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Are government secrets always classified?
Often, to protect national security or sensitive information.
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Do privacy laws vary by country?
Yes, different countries have different privacy regulations.
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Can sharing a secret be harmful?
Yes, if it breaches trust or reveals sensitive information.
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Is it ethical to keep secrets?
It depends on the nature and reason for the secret.
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Can a private person lead a public life?
Yes, but they may keep certain aspects of their life private.
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Is secrecy necessary in certain professions?
Yes, in fields like national security, law, and medicine.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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